Card 19 - Bernstein, Cultural Deprivation

Question 0

Give two criticisms of Bernstein.

Restricted and Elaborated code

Answer 0

• The problem is not the child’s language, but the attitude of the school towards it. Teachers may have a speech hierarchy, valuing middle class speech over working class.
• Over generalises language in schools, doesn’t take into account disabilities, second language students and foreign students.

Question 1

What are Bernstein’s two language codes in relation to cultural deprivation?

Answer 1

• Restricted Code - Limited vocabulary, based on short simple sentences and phrases. Context bound (assumes listener shares same experiences).
• Elaborated Code - Wider vocabulary, based on longer more complex sentences. Context free (does not assume listener shares same experiences).