Language Change) Prescriptivism Vs Descriptivism Flashcards
Metaphors about language change. 4
Broken - needs protecting
Diseased - needs defending
Decaying - being polluted
Scavenger - killing other languages
Prescriptivism
Attitude that language should have strict set of rules
Language should be preserved and fixed
Descriptivism
Language change should be acknowledged and recorded, rather than judged and corrected
List of prescriptivists and prescriptivist ideas. 7
Johnson Swift Humphrys Truss Standardisation Functional theory Aitchison
List of descriptivists and descriptivist ideas. 5
Aitchison Crystal Freeborn Trudgill Cameron
Features of Oxford English Dictionary . 3
Editors were descriptivists
Aim was to record language not prescribe rules
But most think of dictionaries as prescriptive rule books
Features of David crystal . 3
Internet has increased rate of language change
Against the idea that only young people use text-speech and that it’s ruining the English language
Uses metaphor of tide to describe how language is always changing and disappearing
Aitchison features
Came up with 3 metaphors to describe ppls anxiety’s about language use
Damp spoon
Crumbling castle
Infectious disease
Damp spoon metaphor
Aitchisons view
Some think language change is caused by sloppiness or laziness
Aitchison argues the only lazy speech is drunk speech because of the poor muscular coordination
Crumbling castle metaphor
Aitchisons view
Some see English language as beautiful old building that needs to be preserved
They consider English language to have been carefully created until it reached the pinnacle of splendour and is now at risk
Aitchison argues there was never a golden age when language was used correctly by everyone
Infectious disease metaphor
Aitchisons view
We catch change from those around use as though inaccurate use of language is contagious
Aitchison argues ppl pick up change bcos they want to and choose appropriate language use for their context eg convergence
Freeborn features. 2
Summarises how regional accents are often judged by ppls attitudes and feelings
Incorrectness view, ugliness view and impreciseness view
Incorrectness view
Freeborns view on this
Idea that all accents are incorrect/inferior compared to rp/ standard English
Freeborn rejects this, arguing that rp only became the standard as it had social prestige
Ugliness view
Freeborns view on this
Idea that some accents don’t sound nice
Freeborn says this criticism is linked to stereotypes and negative social connotations
Impreciseness view
Freeborns view on this
Some accents described as lazy and sloppy where sounds are omitted or changed
Freeborn says language isn’t lazy (links with Aitchison) and that sound changes (such as glottal stops) can be logical
Trudgill features. 2
Language change is inevitable as society changes
Misuse of a word/grammar doesn’t affect the user’s meaning or listener’s understanding
Cameron (1995) features. 2
Descriptivist but says prescriptivism shows ppl care about how our language is used
Says fears about language change often symbolise fears about social problems - as if declining standards in education and behaviour mirror declining standards of language
Johnson features . 3
Published largest dictionary at time, 1755
Standardised spelling
Initially strove to fix English language but realised that’s impossible as it’s always changing
Lowth features. 3
Published first English grammar book, 1762
Set out fundamental rules for ‘correct’ usage
Argued some constructions are grammatically wrong (multiple negation and split infinitives)
Swift features. 3
Sought to improve English language forever - wanted to appoint experts
Thought English language was in chaos
Criticises young sociolects which can be related to present day concerns eg young dialects-‘fam’
Humphrys features. 4
‘I h8 txt msgs’ article
Dislikes text speech eg brb
Dislikes unnecessary wording eg ‘past history’
Dislikes incorrect pronoun use eg ‘I’ versus ‘me’
