Home > U211 Exploring The English Language
Question: Beginning with a careful analysis of the points made by Jean Aitchison in Reading C of Chapter 9 of English: history, diversity and change, discuss whether it is appropriate to label certain kinds of English as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Answer: Jean Aitchison, a professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University, is the author of a piece entitled “Why do purists grumble so much?” which spells out her feelings toward people who complain about the demise of the English language and offers an alternative view of variants in the language. We live in an incredibly judgmental society today where people often describe different ‘Englishes’ as being correct or incorrect; appropriate or inappropriate; socially acceptable or unacceptable and beautiful or ugly. The diverse types of English they label are native or non-native and standard or non standard; and the guides they use to judge are grammar, spelling and pronunciation. It is important to note that no study of the use of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ English will ever be completely decisive because there are so many varieties of English spoken throughout Britain and ...(short extract)
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- Subject: English Language
- Course: U211
- Level: Degree
- Year: 2nd/3rd
- Mark: 70%
- Words: 1645
- Date submitted: January 12, 2009
- Date written: July, 2004
- References: No
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 68
