ENG506 Highlighted Handouts by Dream Girl

Lesson-19

Standard English and World Englishes

Topic 108: Language Standardization and Codification

The process by which conventional forms of a language are established and maintained. It may occur as an effort by members of a community to impose one dialect or variety as a standard.

The methods by which a language is standardized 18th century was the most important period of codification for English The term codification was popularized in the early 1970s by the linguist Einar Haugen Codification Codification involves the following:

Developing a writing system Setting up official rules for grammar, orthography, pronunciation Publishing grammar books, dictionaries and usage guidelines Selection of the standard variety

English and financial opportunities Market share of different varieties:

American British Australian Standardization vs codification

Concerns raised by standardization:

Language status Language variability Language ideology Standardization vs codification

Codification involves concrete and limited concerns:

Recognition of creativity and innovation Purpose and domain of use Perceived superiority of the native speaker Topic 109: Codification and Teacher Education

Topic 110: Issues in Codification

Issues in codification

Outer circle Englishes exist in multicultural and multilingual environments Generally governments have maintained traditionally accepted British or American English standards Issues of codification The attitude is inappropriate in the current context of the exsitence of English • Codification in the outer circle involves five challanges 1. Prescription or description? Prescriptivism is the belief that one variety of a language is superior to others and should be promoted as such. Descriptivism is a nonjudgmental approach to language that focuses on how it is actually spoken and written.

Prescription or description?

Codification in the outer circle involves two kinds of decision: i. Selecting models and pedagogical norms

ii. Focusing on the cultural context of uses and users

2. Selection

Outer-Circle English users communicate within their region and with speakers from other circles Selection of an exclusively internal or external model as the standard is difficult 3. Functions Participatory function codification for purposes of mutual collaboration

Separatist function Marking boundaries of distinct identity 4. Content of standards Two possibilities: Stay with the British or American model: easy and economical Select an internal model: involves a large amount of work Content of standards (contd…)

Advantages of an internal model

Awareness of identity More opportunities for creativity Acceptance and recognition of creativity

5. Acceptance

Locally defined standards need the approval and support of:

Experts and professionals General population Institutions glish: Topic 111: Constructs of Standards and Codification-I

Randolph Quirk’s approach 1. Three models of spread of EnDemographic model 2. Econocultural model 3. Imperial model

Spread of English nowadays

Can be compared with the econocultural model English being spread nowadays as the medium of science, technology and business Issues of standards General Restricted

General issues of standards: educational concerns Restricted issues of standards: special uses of English

General issues of standards

Unwillingness to adopt American or British English as models False assumptions about the varieties of English by linguists