Standardization

• Language standardizes in all areas

  • Lexis and semantics: advent of dictionaries made meanings less open to change
  • Grammar: printing and influence of prescriptivist led to fixed syntactical rules
  • Spelling: dictionaries, softwares based spelling checkers and education standardises
  • Graphology: education focusses on teaching preferred way forming letters in handwriting
• Printing Press 


  • Accelerated standardisation as debate and decisions of spelling, syntax had to be made to print
  • Standardization favoured prestigious form of language over others
  • People who used it had more influence and more likely to buy text
  • Hence development of standard English based on southern dialects
• As geographical mobility increased, people exposed to more varieties of English

  • Teachers had to decide how to communicate and teach students grammar, spelling, meanings, etc.
  • Government took role in deciding what gets taught - government lived in south so 'standard' English spread
• Prescriptivism


  Language can be codified to a set of rules of orthography how graphemes continue to represent sound of language

  • Took hold in 18th century
  • Rules based off Latin grammar
  • Attempted to fix spellings
  • "Academy of English" set up to sort declining standards
  • Standardisation was a guide for what to teach and print
• Descriptivism


  • Believes grammatical and orthographic rules are a snapshot of current language use
  • Believes what seemed wrong once becomes new right with enough time and people

  'Programme' / 'Program' gained additional meaning and spellings

  • 1630 - 'public notice'
  • 19th century - 'plan'/'scheme'
  • 1945 - computer commands

  Globalisation and internet accelerated these changes to semantics and orthography
• 18th Century standardisation 


  • Rise in popularity of books about grammar and dictionaries
  • Attempted to fix grammar, based on Southern dialects used by those in power
  • Southern dialects became grammatical rule and standard
  • Grammar books based off Latin forms
  • Prescriptivist attempting to fix language are much wealthier - Latin taught to them
  • "Grammar schools" were attended by wealthier/influential
• 19th Century standardization


  • Education became increasingly available to children
  • Lindley Murray: wrote 'English Grammar' - 1794
  • Samuel Johnson: major English dictionary pin spellings and meanings
  • Has changed more over time
  • Difficulty arose in finding fixed meaning of word people can agree on
• 20 & 21st century standardisation


  • Mixed-mode text more common - written text borrowed features of spoken mode more often (minor sentences & colloquialism)
  • New ways of communication is significantly impacted language use in social interaction
  • Language use related to specific social groups (gender, age, class) more sensitive
  • Non-standard focus more valued - regional accents against Received Pronunciations