Attitudes to Attitudes to Language ChangeLanguage Change

I- The inevitability of changeI- The inevitability of changeChange is constantEverything in this universe is perpetually in a

state of change. The most colloquial English of several hundred

years ago sounds remarkably strange to us.Edmund Spenser speaks of “the ever –whirling

wheel of change, the which all mortal things sway”

The famous linguist Ferdinand De Saussure noted: “time changes all things: There is no reason why language should escape this universal law.”

II- change in spoken and II- change in spoken and written languagewritten language

Written Language Spoken language

Preserved through rules/standards

Institutional and official preservation: Language Academies

Kept as conservative and traditional

Undergoes on-going change

Fast change Change happens at

different levels:LexiconPhonologyMorphologyGrammatical

Structures

III- The conservative attitudeIII- The conservative attitude

Throughout history, conservatives have been against language change.

They wanted to abolish the “intruding” new linguistic changes.

They believe in an absolute standard of correctness.

Language achieved a measure of excellence that should be maintained.

Language should be protected from the ravages of fashion and social trends.

BackgroundBackground

Lived before the innovation of linguistic changes(middle aged or older)

They are mostly well-educated.They are linguistically conservatives.

Conservatives consider Language change as:

Cruel SloppyCorruption to language

Linguistic Debate

I hope Versus HopefullyI hope Versus Hopefully

I Hope we will arrive in time for lunch.

Hopefully, we will arrive in time for lunch.

Is repairing Versus is being Is repairing Versus is being repairedrepaired

My car is repairing

My car is being repaired

Prescriptivism RECAPPrescriptivism RECAP

Restricts variationControls future changesImposes standardized rulesRejects existing non-standard rulesViews non-standard varieties as inferior

Positive aspectsPositive aspects

◦It standardizes English

◦helps English speakers around the world to communicate reliably.

CriticismCriticism

 

Prescriptivism concentrates on the technical aspect of the language and discriminates against non-standard forms.

Aitchison’s attitudes to language Aitchison’s attitudes to language changechange   

Aitchison described 3 different attitudes to language change:

The crumbling castle: English language is like a beautiful stately home that should be preserved.

The Damp spoon syndrome: New forms arise from sheer laziness like dipping a damp spoon into sugar.(lazy speech occurs when muscles aren’t fully functional)

The infectious disease: Changes in language are somehow contagious (people pick up new words because they like them).

IV- in favor of Language IV- in favor of Language ChangeChange

Language change is useful and necessary

The development of English only fulfils its primary function

Language then is a vehicle of expression and communication.

BackgroundBackground

Generally they are young people.

They have grown within language change.

They don’t resist change.

They accept and are in favor of language development.

Positive Aspects of Language Positive Aspects of Language ChangeChange

Language development is viewed as positive because:

It serves language

Provides ease of communication

It is useful

Corruption is no longer valid…Corruption is no longer valid…

◦“Corruption” has turned to take a new positive dimension.Example

◦The Corruption of Latin has led to the appearance of new languages: e.g. French, Spanish, …

◦Speakers of these languages consider them as:NaturalRichBeautifulExpressive

The change is legitimate and has

imposed itself it was not imposed by

others

Descriptivism Descriptivism RECAPRECAP

Attitude of Descriptivism to Attitude of Descriptivism to Language ChangeLanguage Change

Descriptivism views language change as natural.

It considers language as something that evolves and adapts:

New forms come inSome drop outOther forms remain

Key features of Descriptivism Key features of Descriptivism

Describe forms of variationRecord change as it happensAvoid interference with change and variation

Understand use in context

Criticism towards DescriptivismCriticism towards Descriptivism

The standard form of language can be negatively affected by the use of non-standard varieties in written publications, school or workplace.

V- Political Correctness V- Political Correctness (PC)(PC)

DefinitionDefinition

Political Correctness is an approach that seeks to reduce and remove the offence caused to particular individuals or groups through prejudice and discrimination.

It is believed that language can cause offence and reinforce inequality.

Today PC is an undoubted field of language change

Historical Background Historical Background

In 1970, with the influence of the feminist movement, PC made gender representation in language its main focus.

The PC approach developed in USA and its influence spread later to the UK.

By early 1990’s, it was being used as a general tool for “a neutral language”

It isn’t restricted only to gender, but it also concerns issues of representation in many social grouping.

PC Term Original Term Comments

Chairperson

Chairman Designed to remove parts of the “generic masculine” problem in English, where the suffix “man” is used to refer to all people in that position but, semantically, excludes the female gender.

Ms Miss/Mrs. An alternative title for women, to redress the imbalance of this system which indicates female marital status but not male.

herstory history An extreme example in the eyes of many but put forward as a form of positive discrimination by some feminists to counter the appearance of the male pronoun “his” and the symbolic interpretation of the patriarchy of his-story.

Hearing impaired

deaf A phrase suggested in response to negative connotations that had become associated with wider uses of the word “deaf”.

vocationally relocate

sack/to fire An example of one of the many satirical words PC coined.

CriticismCriticism

PC was heavily criticized.

By the late 1990’s, PC lost much of its credibility

 

Language CHANGE: who decides?

WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY ON WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY ON THIS?THIS?

Language Academies and regulators are motivated by linguistic purism. They typically publish dictionaries and texts on grammar and pronunciation.

Essentially these regulators are prescriptivists.

Institutional Regularization: Language Institutional Regularization: Language AcademiesAcademies

The Role of Language Academies

maintain and protect the language fix the languageGive a linguistic heritage to all citizens and everyone who speaks that language.

Maintain high standards of usage while keeping up with the necessary evolution of Language.

These standards are maintained by:

The production of the official dictionary, Lexicography.

The Recommendation of updates The participation in the creation of new terms.

The Example of the French Academy (L'Académie française)

Historical BackgroundHistorical Background

The Academy was founded in 1635 by cardinal Richelieu. The bylaws were signed by Louis XIII that same year, and registered with Parliament in 1637.

Since then, the job has belonged to the successive kings, emperors, and heads of state of the country.

MissionMission

"The primary function of the Académie will be to work, with all possible care and diligence, to give specific rules for our language and make it pure, eloquent, and useful in the arts and science.“

Article 24 of the Bylaws of L'Académie française

MembersMembersMembers of Language Academies always

constitute the intellectual elite:PoetsPhilosophers Doctors LinguistsArt criticsHeads of state.Clergymen, etc

The aim of a varied composition is to provide a wide range of knowledge and culture.

ConclusionConclusion

Why should language change be unavoidable?

BibliographyBibliography

 

Aitchinson, Jean Language Change: Progress or decay? Cambridge; new York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

  Trask, R.L Historical Linguistics. London; New York: Arnold; distributed in the USA by St.

Martin’s Press, 1996.  Trask, R.L Language Change. London; New York: Routledge, 1994.  Web references  http://parismus.forum-actif.net/cours-de-francais-f7/le-langage-des-jeunes-francais-le-

verlan-t93.htm

http://www.nelsonthornes.com/aqagce/A2%20Sample%20material/English/A2_LAN_A.PDF  www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/changing-voices/

http://www.languagea2.bethkemp.co.uk/langechange.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_policy

http://www.academie-francaise.fr/

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/31/ab/6b.pdf