Language Change Revision

Language Change Revision

Accents and Dialects

• Prejudice exists in language with accents and dialects and is seen as 'socially acceptable'.
• "Native speakers of English are generally at least bi-dialectal" - meaning they can switch between at least two dialects. This suggest they can apply these dialects in particular contexts to suit different audiences. E.g. A student wouldn't use their Essex dialect in a job interview.
• This is called code-switching according to context.
• Language changes according to societal attitudes.
• Slang lends covert prestige - tends to make you sound more 'down-to-earth' or more 'cool' and in particular occupations and situations this technique can be advantageous.
• Divergence - to speak differently to your audience by using language with either a higher social status or a lower social status than you.
• Convergence - to speak similarly to your audience by using language with either a higher social status or a lower social status than you.

Arguments For Banning Slang in Schools

• Head teacher of Ongar Academy head teacher, David Grant, says that students’ dialect "may not favourably reflect on them when they attend college and job interviews".
• Lindsay Johns: "Language is power". It affects what people think of us and accents give perceptions of us being uneducated.

Arguments Against Banning Slang in Schools

• "Because children are sensitive to how they’re perceived, stigmatising their everyday speech can be harmful" - links to Julia Snell's ideas about language.
• "Our dialect and language use are part of our identities, connecting us to time, place, community, and self-image."
• Michael Rosen: "There is no evidence that speaking using one type of slang prevents us from speaking using another."
• Michael Rosen: Banning language doesn't work. "Teachers have been trying to ban slang in schools for over 100 years."
• Stan Carey (writer for the guardian): Children should not be lead to believe that there is something inferior or shameful about their dialects.
• Julia Snell: "children may simply remain silent in order to avoid the shame of speaking ‘incorrectly’, and miss the interactions crucial to learning."