Present Day English

Question 1

5 influences which have affected present day English and explain each influence briefly?

Answer 1

Internet/ digital communication- internet culture producing new terms.
Pop Culture/ global media - shared cultural lexicon eg binge watch
Globalisation - borrowing vocab from other countries.
Political/social movements - push for inclusive terminology
Scientific - new vocab eg sustainable and as public awareness increases lang expands.
Changing attitudes to lang - less prescriptivism acceptance of colloquialisms in formal contexts

Question 2

5 Effects of influences affecting pde?

Answer 2

Rapid expansion of lexis.
Blurring of formality - Goodman.
Acceptance of varieties.
Lang reflects inclusivity movements
Hybridisation of written/ visual communication
Grammatical simplification.

Question 3

What are Goodman’s 5 key elements of informalisation theory?

Answer 3

Blurring of formal/informal boundaries - colloquialisms, contractions in formal setting.
Conversationalisation of written language - written language adopting features of spoken language eg more personal tone.
Ride of digital communication- social media and texting culture encourage casual style of writing.
Audience engagement and relatability- engage on personal level can build rapport and loyalty.
Erosion of language hierarchy- formal was seen as superior, this is now challenged.

Question 4

3 examples of when informalisation may be used?

Answer 4

News headlines
Politicians
Customer service

Question 5

What 3 things does aitchison say about present day English?

Answer 5

It’s a “crumbling castle” as it used to be prestigious and it’s not anymore
It’s a “damp spoon” as people get lazy with it
It’s an “infectious disease” as it begins to catch on.

Question 6

What are the 4 paragraphs you should always try to write about?

Answer 6

Genre
Lexis and semantic
Grammar/syntax/ orthography
Spelling