Language Change

Question 1

PDIC

Answer 1

· Potential – there is an internal weakness or an external pressure for a particular change.
· Diffusion – the change starts to spread through the population.
· Implementation – people start using the variant – it is incorporated into people’s idiolect – group/local languages.
· Codification Model – written down and subsequently put into the dictionary and accepted officially.

Question 2

Chen S-Curve Model

Answer 2

The S Curve model is based on the idea that language change can occur at a slow pace creating the initial curve of the ‘S’ and then increases speed as it becomes more common and accepted into the language. This can then slow down and again and level out once it has fully integrated into the language and is widely used.

Question 3

Bailey (1973) – Wave model

Answer 3

Bailey suggested that geographical distance could have an effect on language change.

· Just as someone who is close to the epicentre of an earthquake will feel the tremors, a person or group close to the epicentre of a language change will pick it up whereas a person or group further away from the centre of change is less likely to adopt it.

· For example, a word adapted or adopted by multicultural youths in London is unlikely to affect white middle-class speakers in Edinburgh, as they are removed from the epicentre both culturally and socially

Question 4

Functional theory

Answer 4

This theory suggests that language always changes and adapts to the needs of its users

Question 5

Jean Aitchison’s metaphors for prescriptivist attitudes

Answer 5

· Damp Spoon parody – The idea of laziness – you don’t do things properly, it’s distasteful. Often to do with phonological/ grammatical features that we don’t like. (See table for criticisms)
· Crumbling Castle parody – At some point in the past, the language was ‘perfect.’ It now has deteriorated and we have to look after it, in order to stop it getting any worse.
· Infectious Disease Parody – We catch bad usage of language from other people and it spreads.

Question 6

Plain English Campaign

Answer 6

urged government organisations and businesses to use straightforward English wherever possible
LESS Jargon
Less use of passive voice

Question 7

David Crystal

Answer 7

“When people use slang among themselves, it shows they belong together. The slang marks them out as being members of the same group”

Question 8

John Swift

Answer 8

• proposal for correcting, improving and ascertaining the English Tongue.
• believed that language needed to be fixed so it was not so varied, chirche, kirke, chirch, kirk

Question 9

Caxton

Answer 9

egges and eyrens, for concrete noun eggs

Question 10

John McWhorter

Answer 10

‘texting is talking with your fingers’