HOW LANGUAGE REFLECTS A PERSON'S SOCIAL STATUS

This article examines the intricate relationship between language and social stratification from a sociolinguistic perspective. The research highlights how an individual's speech patterns, phonological features, and lexical choices signal their socio-economic standing within a community. Drawing upon the concept of linguistic capital, the study explores the impact of standard and non-standard dialects on personal prestige and identifies emerging socio-linguistic barriers in the era of digital communication. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need to dismantle linguistic biases and foster appreciation for linguistic diversity as a means to address social inequality.