Aitchison's Explanation of the Crumbling Castle Theory

Question 1

What does the Crumbling Castle Discourse Metaphor say?

Answer 1

The English Language is a beautiful old building that must be preserved

Question 2

Who argued English should be interacted with but not be damaged?

Answer 2

John Simon

Question 3

What does the crumbling castle suggest in terms of a peak?

Answer 3

That the English Language once had a peak

Question 4

What does Aitchison say about English having a peak?

Answer 4

No one has ever given a date to when the English language had peaked

Question 5

If a castle is constantly having sections of it renewed, what does this show?

Answer 5

Ways of changing it are necessary

Question 6

What does Aitchison call the processes of adding new features to language?

Answer 6

‘tidying up’ processes

Question 7

Why will people ‘tidy up’ the English language continuously?

Answer 7

To make it more efficient for their own communication

Question 8

Name a tidying up process in English that has occurred for centuries

Answer 8

Making English plural nouns end with the ‘s’ morpheme