Standard vs Non-standard

Question 1

What is standard English?

Answer 1

A form of English that is widely accepted as the usual form

Question 2

What is non-standard english?

Answer 2

Not percieved as stabdard, often used in ‘local areas’

This isn’t taught when teaching English as a foreign language

Question 3

What is the process of standardisation

Answer 3

1. selection
2. elaboration
3. codification
4. implementation

Question 4

Process of Standardisation

What does selection consist of?

Answer 4

New word/ lang selected from existing language variety (usually from powerful people)

Question 5

Process of Standardisation

What does eleboration consist of?

Answer 5

Ensure new language can be multifunctional (new grammatical features, specialised vocab)

Question 6

Process of standardisation

What does codification consist of?

Answer 6

Reduce the spelling/ grammar variety as much as possible (make standard spellings, meanings)

Question 7

Process of standardisation

What does implementation consist of?

Answer 7

Encourage new use of language, make examples available to society

e.g. implement in dictionaries, news etc

Question 8

What is descriptivism?

Answer 8

A non-judgmental approach to language- focuses on how it’s actually spoken and written

A language form can be used for different purposes, not just one

e.g. “If i were/ was you…?” neither would be deemed incorrect since english speakers are able to comprehend both

Question 9

What is prescriptivism?

Answer 9

Attitude that one variety of language is superior to others and should be promoted as such

Focuses on how language should be used, spoken and written

Question 10

Descriptivism

What is Jean Aitchinson’s Language Web theory?

Answer 10

-damp spoon: language change caused by laziness
-crumbling castle: language needs to be preserved as it’s been carefully formed over time
-infectious disease: we ‘catch’ change from those around us, however shouldn’t be seen as a force we’re unable to resist

Question 11

Descriptivism

What are David Crystal’s ideas/ views?

Answer 11

-SE is not a matter of pronunciation; it’s a variety and combination of linguistic features (grammar, vocab etc)
-SE often spoken by the powerful
-Prestige attached to SE is recognised more by adults- influences to teach as educational target

Question 12

Descriptivism

What are Michael Rosen’s views?

Answer 12

-grammar gives words sense (strings of words that make sense together= grammar)
-not all linguists agree on grammatical terms; they agree there is grammar
-not only one correct way to describe language

Question 13

Descriptivism

What are James Milroy’s views?

+ What is overt social discrimination?

Answer 13

-younger gen are responsible for linguistic decline
-a person’s use of language will be the ‘last defender’ of overt social discrimination

Direct and intentional acts of social discrimination

Question 14

Descriptivism

What are Ferdinand Saussure’s views?

Answer 14

-standardisation of English has created ‘absurd ideas’, prejudices and illusions more than anything else

Question 15

Descriptivism

What are Deborah Cameron’s views?

Answer 15

Verbal hygiene-

Question 16

Prescriptivism

What are Lord Tebbit’s ideas?

Answer 16

-once standards of English are lost, there’s no imperative to stay out of crime (the way you speak affects your subcoscious social class/ place in society)

If standards slip, speech will allow more susceptibility to crime

Question 17

Presciptivism

What are Lynne Truss’ ideas?

Answer 17

-explains how majority of society and blind to ‘dead punctuation’
-prescriptivists naturally become timid about proposing such ideas because they’re told to ‘get a life’

We should not be oblivious to apostrophe use

Eats, shoots and leaves- appostrophe application- important to understanding implementation of a phrase

Question 18

Prsecriptivism

What are Lindsay John’s views?

Answer 18

‘ghetto grammar’- makes young people sound stupid and uneducated when they aren’t always
-street slang= disenfranchisement + marginalisation

The more well spoken we are, the more seriously we will be taken by people of authority

Question 19

What is the purpose of slang?

Answer 19

-efficient communication
-fit into certain social groups
-create own identity
-gain independence (especially teenagers, they seperate selves from older peers/ parents)
-shows belonging to region/ country

Question 20

What is taboo?

Answer 20

Behaviour is deemed as harmful, uncomfortable, or dangerous (offensive)

Question 21

What are the 3 types of taboo?

Answer 21

-obscenity: vulgar, sexually immoral actions/ words
-profanity: debase/ defile holy words (blashphemy)
-uncleanliness: determined taboo based off cultural/ societal values of ‘clean’ behaviour

Question 22

What are the 4 functions of taboo?

Answer 22

-Expletivity: make exclamatory statement providing shock value (wow!)
-To insult: abusive address to another
-Solidarity: indicate speaker is affiliated with certain group (e.g. make people laugh)
-Make stylistic: make sentence more memorable

Question 23

Spread of Language Change

What is the functional theory?

Answer 23

-language will always change and adapt to the needs of it’s users
-views language as part of social semiotics
-language is a tool for social interactions, supports social functions

Question 24

Spread of language change

What is random fluctuation and cultural transmission?

Answer 24

-language change occurs due to unstable nature of language itself
-language changes that occur- reflect changing context of language and it’s users

“Fashions in language are just as unpredictable as fashions in clothes”

Question 25

Spread of language change

What is the substratum theory?

Answer 25

-focuses on different languages that come into contact with English through non-native speakers/ regional dialects

e.g. “like” from American TV to British dialects

Immigration has brought words from native tongue into adopted one (conquerors, wars, invasions also effect language change)

Question 26

Spread of language change

What is hyper-correction?

Answer 26

-phonological change through adoption of incorrect emphasis/ pattern of pronunciation

happens due to speaker thinking they are using ‘high-prestige’ form of the word

Question 27

Spread of language change

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

Answer 27

-language used reflects who we are as people
-those who use derogatory, racist slurs use language reflecting racial prejudice

Determinism: if people can be persuaded not to use these terms they can determine new ways of thinking (how political correctness is formed)

Question 28

Spread of Language Change

What is the S-curve model?

Answer 28

-language change slowly occurs at first, then increases in speed as it becomes more common and accepted (it slows down again when fully integrated into language
-graphically, this creates an ‘S’ shaped curve

Question 29

Spread of language change

What is the wave model?

relates to geographics and distance from area language change

Answer 29

-geographical distance can have an affect on language change
-people close to epicentre of language change will pick it up, compared to those who aren’t as close (less likely to pick it up)

Question 30

Who is William Labov and what is his theory on Martha’s vineyard?

What was the relevance of the study?

Answer 30

-speech patterns are part of a highly systematic structure of social stratification (way people speak is often a result of social structures)
-residents exaggerated ‘awe’ and ‘ay’ to distinguish themselves from tourists and show status to visitors, since it gave prestige

People can use their accent and exaggerate it (even subconsciously) to show prestige, and to create cohesion/ belonging

Question 31

Who is Peter Trudgill and what is his Norwich study?

What was the relevance of his study?

Answer 31

-wanted to see whether gender affects dialect in different social classes
-pronunciation: whether it was due to socioeconomic status groups, speech consciousness or gender
-found it did vary, people in lower classes more likely to say “walkin’” as opposed to “walking”- this was found more common in men than women in all social classes

conducting a large sociolinguist investigation demonstrates relationship between social class and language use

Question 32

What is the difference between jargon and slang?

Answer 32

Jargon can be considered a “professional slang”, whereas slang is colloquial and informal, that is used more commonly verbally than written

Question 33

What is meant by political correctness?

Answer 33

Using language change and political vocab to avoid offence/ perpetuation of stereotypes

Question 34

What is Recieved Pronunciation (RP)?

Answer 34

A British accent known as the “standard British” accent:
* accent most used in formal education
* used for phonetic pronunciations in British dictionaries

Question 35

What does non-rhoticity mean?

RP is non-rhotic

Answer 35

the /r/ sound in the middle/ end of a word is dropped unless a vowel comes after it

e.g. “father”, “car”, “butter”

Question 36

What other letter is predominantly stretched out/ spone properly in RP?

Answer 36

the /a/ sound in words- it is stretched out

“grass” spoken as “grarss”

Question 37

What is conservative RP?

Answer 37

The most traditional/ well established version of RP- spoken mostly by older generations/ those in upper classes/ government

Rarely used nowadays

Question 38

What is mainstream RP?

Answer 38

Neutral- doesn’t give much away about speaker’s age/ job/ social class

Used on the news and in media in general

Question 39

What is contemporary RP?

(modern RP)

Answer 39

Mainly spoken by younger people- use more colloquial terms

Similar to Estuary English (sits between RP and Cockney)