Research into Language Change

In today's lesson, we did some research into language change and how it is changing:

http://www.ted.com/talks/anne_curzan_what_makes_a_word_real

This clip is from TedTalks and is a talk by Anne Curzan. The blurb for this talk is:

One could argue that slang words like ‘hangry,’ ‘defriend’ and ‘adorkable’ fill crucial meaning gaps in the English language, even if they don't appear in the dictionary. After all, who actually decides which words make it into those pages? Language historian Anne Curzan gives a charming look at the humans behind dictionaries, and the choices they make. 

This talk is interesting as she begins to discuss how slang over the has changed over time and how many new words there are every year. She gives us an idea how dictionary editors jobs are harder than it looks and how deciding whether a word should be in the dictionary. It also interesting to see how the Usage Panel in dictionary's show how that words change in usage is acceptable. But the main message is that language change should not be seen as worrying but as fasinating and intreseting to compare to how it was used in the past to how it is used now.

Another intresting article is this one published this year in March:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/11/pronunciation-errors-english-language

This article looks at 8 pronoucation errors that have changed the English language today. Looking through the 8 ways, it's intresting to see which ones you do and how it has effected your language. There coud also be a question that is it actually a good thing or a bad things that this is happening in the English Language today. Other TedTalk: http://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk by John McWhorter places his veiw on how texting is killing the English Language. It brings back an idea that our speech in converging to writing. However, David Crystal argues the fact that actually texting could be good for the English language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h79V_qUp91M and this clipd shows us his reasoning for this. How taxting is a language that had been developed from the uprising use of technology

Language Change

The second part of the exam this year is about language change post 1600. Here are the starter notes for this part of the course:

The 2 schools of thought in language change:

1. Descriptive Approach in language = context and the more modern one of today

2. Prescriptive Approach in language 

Key influences of language change

1. War, invasion and immigration - In past terms, the Brirish Empire was the main reason for new ways for language to mix. People from Jamaica, Australia, India and Canada all came to Britain and also with the introduction the the BBC The World, English was broadcast everywhere. A example for now, is the polish and simlaian coming into the south west looking for jobs, religous influences and the fact the are war or economic refuges.

An important theorist who is important to language change is David Crystal. This link: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sunday-brunch takes you to an episode of Sunday Brunch on channel 4 he was on with his son, Ben talking about his new book and also how today is English language day! His main point how all of us in contempary Britainhave mongrel accents.

"There are more accents per mile than any other English speaking part of the world"

This is linking back to how invasion is a key feature of language change. His son Ben Cyrstal agrees by saying:

"Accents change from street to street."

The new book out called "You say potatoe" is all about about language has changed and this link here: http://www.panmacmillan.com/book/bencrystal/yousaypotato

Takes you to an investigation he is doing into this and collecting data from all over Britain over people's accents and you can get involved too.

They also talk about the idea that Shakespears language in the 1600's, would have had one of the original a accents of Cornish and now in the future, there is the idea that we won't have one accent and the media will help.

2. Science and technology - spoken and wort ten language is converging. We are in a generation now that will write more than we speak and the introduction of predicted texting is becoming a big infulence too.

This link here is to the new Barclays advert: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=825793004122235&video_source=pages_finch_thumbnail_video

Which is about teaching young people how to speak without using hedges or fillers. However, it maybe be stereotypical about language status and authority these days but it does have a point.