Theories (lang change)

• What is the main idea of descriptivism in language change?

  It focuses on actual usage rather than rules
• What does David Crystal suggest about language change?

  There is no predictable direction for language changes
• How do descriptivists view historical data?

  They consider it to encourage individualism in language
• What metaphor does the text use to describe adapting to language change?

  Teaching people to swim with the tide
• Who wrote a letter advocating for a language academy?

  Jonathan Swift
• What was Jonathan Swift's proposal regarding language?

  To regulate language use through an academy
• What did Swift want to model his academy after?

  The Académie Française
• What are Norman Tebbit's concerns regarding language?

  They relate to taste and good manners
• What does Tebbit suggest happens when standards slip?

  People may turn to crime
• How does Tebbit view language rules?

  As a social ideology invented for communication
• What does the text imply about complaints regarding language?

  They often concern communication style, not clarity
• What is the consequence of allowing language standards to slip?

  It leads to a lack of standards in society
• What is the difference between descriptivism and prescriptivism?

  Descriptivism focuses on usage, prescriptivism on rules
• How does power influence language according to the text?

  Those in power set norms and structures
• Why is spoken language significant in language change?

  It is the most common form of language change
• What does the phrase "swim in the right direction" imply about language change?

  Adapting to changes is necessary for progress