Linguistic Concepts

Linguistic Concepts

1. Meanings of "grammar" --

  • a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in the syntax of a language. Taught in school along with punctuation, etc. (Prescriptive)

  • a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language--acquired unconsciously (Descriptive)

  • "Universal grammar" -- Chomsky's theory that all languages contain similar structures and rules that children everywhere acquire the same way, and without much effort, seems to indicate that we're born wired with the basics already present in our brains, a "language acquisition device."

2. There is no "Bad" grammar among native speakers of varieties of English and dialects.

    • We all have a "perfect grammar" of our spoken language that we acquired in childhood. Children can also acquire two or more languages at the same time.

    • Our "mother tongue" identifies us with our ethnicity, class, race, gender. To criticize it is to criticize our mother and ourselves!

    • Prescriptive vs descriptive study of grammar

    • Even prescriptive grammar changes: he/she = they

    • All languages are in a process of growth and change; young people, especially young women are early promoters of new linguistic forms. eg., vocal fry

    • Other drivers of linguistic change:

      • Terms from technology--social media, internet speak, computer terms

      • Inner-city vocabulary

      • Other languages

      • Social, political and economic factors

    • All languages are influenced by other languages they come into contact with

    • Languages spoken by "primitive" peoples are usually more complex than more common languages

    • Linguists work to document and record languages across the globe. Number of languages in the world

3. All languages, pidgins, creoles, dialects and varieties are equal in linguistic terms

    • A language communicates and identifies a speaker as belonging to a certain community.

    • French is not better than English

    • Philly English is not better than Texas English

    • The "Queen's English" is not better than American English

    • It is not "bad" or "wrong" to mix languages when speaking or writing

    • However, there are socio-linguistic prejudices against "non-standard" dialects, accents and languages

    • It has been said that a "standard" language is a dialect with an army and a navy, a question of power.

    • Many dialects are "anti-hegemonic"

    • Many speakers can code switch when they want to.

4. "Standard English Ideology" -- the idea that we should all speak and write the standard variety

5. Standard American English is not "better than" Black English (African American Vernacular English)

    • Black English is not a collection of "errors" of mispronunciation or grammar

    • Black English is a systematic dialect with its own grammar

    • Examples of AAVE grammar, not "errors"

      • Double Negation:

      • I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t do anything.

      • I didn’t see no woman. I didn’t see a woman.

      • You don’t have to be no Einstein. You don’t have to be Einstein.

      • Absence of 3rd-person singular forms

      • He don’t count. He doesn’t count.

      • He don’t have no choice. He doesn’t have a choice.

      • Omission of the copula (to be)

      • Trevor said he dead. Trevor said he is dead.

      • I don’t think he married. I don’t think he is married.

      • They looking. They are looking.

6. Socio-linguistic controversies

    • English Only Movement

      • Linguists and educators believe that students should be taught in their native language first

        • Psychological and pedagogical reasons

      • Similarly they believe that Black English should be taught in school or at least recognized as a legitimate dialect

      • Linguists believe that it is to an individual's advantage to speak more than one dialect or language

    • World Englishes and non-native speakers of English

      • There are many varieties of "native" English--US, India, Singapore, UK, Australia, Canada,

      • "Non-native speakers" of English out number native speakers

      • We need to be more tolerant of differences that don't hinder communication.