LC good

• attitudes towards language change

  Prescriptivism

  Descriptivism
• prescriptivism


  the notion that language should be fixed, prescribing to a set standard of rules for language usage, with any shift away from these rules or standards being seen as incorrect
• descriptivism


  when no judgement or negative attitude is imposed on language change- examination of how language is used.
• define benign prescriptivism


  when someone only believes language should change if its offensive eg political correctness.
• types of language change study

  diachronic change

  synchronic change
• diachronic change


  The historical development of language
• synchronatic change


  study of language as a particular moment in time.
• French Influence


  Words like explore and detail added to English lexicon.
• 1st English Dictionary


  Compiled in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey for scripture and legal understanding for the everyday person

  
  

  increased education- at this time 1/2 of Englands population had some form of education
• language prestige


  - rise in courtier poets in 16th century led to 'high english'

  - writing in English become stylish as many poets then began to aim to write in English

  
  

  - however, this led to negative attitudes of regional accents
• English as the 'worlds language'


  - American English ctreated an extra surge in the spread of English

  - film, tech, youth culture and economics

  - this meant knowing English was essential for trade and therefore development.
• the future of English

  -English will develop into variations (eg Singlish) to fit local tounges and rhythms

  - core speakers will become less important with L2 being more.
• people criticize the English spelling system for being...

  ... too complex

  - silent letters

  - homographs- words written the same but sound different (read)

  - homophones- words that look different but sound the same (through, threw)
• great vowel shift


  a change in the pronunciation of English language that took place between 1400 and 1600

  - production of more long vowels eg sit - seat.

  - led to a widened gap between the phoneme and the grapheme.
• what is assimilation?


  sounds next to one another become similar with sounds moving close together to aid pronunciation

  eg- "hambag", "tem pounds"
• what is omission?


  Missing out sounds from words when speaking at speed to aid pronounciation

  eg- "t" is whistle
• Americas reform


  Noah Webbster 1832

  wanted to create an American English which was just as superior as English English

  "purify and reduce number of anomalies"
• differences between English and American spellings

  British ---- American

  our endings ---- or endings

  re endings ---- er endings

  ise endings ---- ize endings
• Lowthes grammar rules 1762


  first time English grammar had been studied

  good grammar associated with high prestige

  - Thou no longer used

  - difference between Will and Shall
• Haugens 4 stages of standardisation- 1966

  1- selection - language selected- prestigious variety

  2- codification - reduction in variability- lexis norms

  3- elaboration- language developed for multiple purposes

  4- implementation- texts avalible in the language encourages sense of identity and pride
• Aitchisons 2013 metaphors


  1- damp spoon

  2- crumbling castle

  3- infectious disease

  (not her opinion but observations of opinions)
• Donald Mackinion 1996


  Language can be...

  correct/ incorrect

  pleasant/ unpleasant

  useful/ useless
• why does change occur - external factors

  - urbanisation

  - middle class (fuedal system changes)

  - technology and globalisation- increased global contact

  - increased politeness and political correctness

  - youth

  - increased informality

  - education acts ect
• Charles Hockett


  Random fluctuation language change theory.

  errors occur in the language and we pass these on

  eg technology typo of owned to pwned now is a common word in technology
• Aitchisons s- curve


  Change tends to start in a small way

  then fluculation between new and old terms until new takes over and becomes the norm

  first users= innovators

  last users= laggards

  
• Substratum Theory (William Labov)

  when speakers learn a new language they often learn it imperfectly and then pass these on to future generations causing change
• how many people speak english as a L2

  200 million
• reasons for englishes global spread

  - technology

  - international communication

  - migration and travel
• strevens 1980


  world map of English

  +shows power and dominance of English and

  +the difference between UK and US English

  - suggests English comes from England when in reality it has many influences
• Braj Katchu 1992


  Three circles model

  inner circle, outer circle, expanding circle

  - presents superiority of native English suggesting t becomes less significant as circles go out
• Jenifer Jenkins 2008


  ELF

  + sucessful communication

  + linguistic accommodation and code switching
• JJ ELF features


  - confusion of who and which

  - dropping of 3rd person present tense 's'

  - over doing explicitness eg "pink colour"
• Schneider dynamic World English model

  2007

  1- foundation- English brought to new territory

  2- exonormative stabalisation- "elite" bilingualism spreads

  3- nativism- Bilingual speakers develop a new variety of english

  4- Endonormative stabalisation- new linguistic norms established

  5- differentation- increased varieties within social groups in the area.