PROGRESS OR DECAY Jean Aitchison PROGRESS OR DECAY

PROGRESS OR DECAY Jean Aitchison

PROGRESS OR DECAY Our presentation is all about Jean Aitchinsons views on language change. This includes how changes spread from person to person Opposing social pressures within a change Subconscious change Crumbling castle theory The damp spoon syndrome Jean’s opinion.

HOW CHANGES SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON? We don’t know when changes began so we can’t tell how long changes have taken. A change happens in language without us knowing but at some point it arises to the surface and it’s only when people become aware of the change is when it reaches the certain crucial point. Conscious awareness- tend to be from the socially acceptable ‘norm’ Unconscious awareness- goes against the socially accepted ‘norm’.

OPPOSING SOCIAL PRESSURES WITHIN A CHANGE. People don’t pay attention to other’s behaviour unless it’s dramatically different from the norm. If their behaviour is dramatically different then it is usually exaggerated Example: Felicity drinks like a fish Jenny’s house is like a pig sty. This also happens in language. Example ‘t’ at the ends of words like ‘what’ and ‘hot’ when placed before another word such as ‘wha(t) stupidity’ the ‘t’ isn’t pronounced. However, this is noticed by other people but if you change the ‘t’ at the end of sentences such as ‘wha(t) is ho(t)’ usually it is noticed and this is when usually your parents tell you to pronounce your ‘t’s’. ‘t’ dropping is a change against a standard norm. This change can occur from the language originally and when a group of people consciously or unconsciously imitate others speech.

SUBCONSCIOUS CHANGE Change occurs from group to group by people who come in contact and accommodate their speech in conversation. When a subconscious change occurs and becomes socially aware then there is a clash of old and new which may go on for decades or centuries therefore language change reflects the changing social situation.

CRUMBLING CASTLE THEORY This theory treats English language as an old building which needs to be preserved. John Simons said English language is like ‘national parks, monuments and public facilities that should not be defaced or destructed’. This implies that at one point language was at its perfection, however no date can be recorded for this and that language shouldn’t be allowed to change or be flexible. This theory has never worked as language has to be flexible for the changes in society. However people who agree with this theory may say new words are allowed to exist as long as the old ones are preserved but this in the long run is impossible.

THE DAMP SPOON SYNDROME This theory states that language changes because people are lazy. Many condemn the language change and agree with this theory as it states that our language is becoming harder to pronounce and that its becoming even harder foreigners to understand as peoples language becomes lazy, slack and sloppy all due to ignorance. Eg. "Pamela jump back" rather than "Pamela jump. ED back".

JEAN’S OPINION Overall it’s fair to say that Jean Aitchison is a descriptivist. However she writes about prescriptivists attitudes as in society today it is a popular talking point. For example, the older generations constantly say how young people of today use awful language, speak in the form of text language and don’t speak correctly. This may not be true but as long as people argue that it is then Jean Aitchinson’s books will sell to other academics and libraries. “Change is one thing. Decay is another. Is British English really changing for the worse, as some people argue? Of course it isn’t. Over a hundred years ago, linguists … realised that different styles of language suit different situations, but that no part of language is ever deformed or bad. People who dispute this are like cranks who argue that the world is flat. Yet flat-earth views about language are still widespread. ” Jean Aitchinson