Social Factors in Language Learning - Essay Example

Social Factors in Language Learning Introduction All existing languages show a tendency to change overtime. A long time ago there were languages which did not resemble those of our time at all. The English language is not an exception to this rule. There are different factors which influence this process and contribute to language changing its form. Among others there are regional, social, individual and gender variations, along with various language change. There are different attitudes towards such changes. Some people accept it eagerly, while others may meet it with resistance. It happens because people have their fixed idea of what the English language is supposed to be, that is why all linguistic innovations are met reluctantly. The fact that English is not completely stable and is changing overtime has its impact on teaching and learning this language. However, it is possible to adjust to this influence. To make a benefit from it, it is necessary to understand language variations and language changes. Language Variations Nowadays the English language undergoes several variations due to different factors. Among them people can distinguish regional, social, personal and even gender variations. The most widespread and obvious one is regional variation of the English language. It provides an answer to the question “Where are you from?” (Crystal, 1995b). Globally there are two main variants of it, and those are American and British English. At present both variants are in active interaction and they influence each other. Thanks to the popularity of American media and British culture the speakers of both models adopt certain vocabulary and pronunciation from each other. This process is commonly called accommodation (Crystal, 1995b). Apart from two main models of English regional variety of this language includes several dialectal variations. There are regional dialects of English both, in the USA and Great Britain. Dialects vary mostly in vocabulary and these differences are quite large and numerous (Crystal, 1995b). Unfortunately, this contrast between speakers sometimes leads to conflicts and bulling because one dialect is considered to be more privileged than the other. However, people should abandon this prejudice and treat everyone equally. The next type of language variation is based on social factors. It helps speakers understand “what” or “who you are” in the English speaking society (Crystal, 1995b). Depending on people’s social identities, they use different types of language. There are many factors which predetermine the usage of certain constructions, words and intonation. They include the level of education, sex, occupying job and age. In some countries with English speaking population social variation of the language does not play a huge role. However, in Britain there was a distinct boundary between social classes and now the features of class dialects are more defined there (Crystal, 1995b). Speaking about personal variation in English, it is caused by individual features of every speaker. Everything a person does can have its impact on his/her speech. Except for age and sex, several other factors matter, such as personal experience, hobbies, habits, skills and tastes. As a result, depending on circumstances speakers can have different voice qualities, use different constructions and even change their handwriting (Crystal, 1995b). The next type of language variation concerns gender. It is believed than men and women speak differently in many aspects. Men, for instance, tend to speak more carelessly and in a colloquial manner, while most women pronounce words correctly (Bauer, et al, 2006a). One of possible explanations of this phenomenon is that in formal situations women try to sound correctly, whereas men do not care so much about their speech. Above that, women turn to swearing far less than men, so their speech is considered more polite. However, in informal and relaxed situations this distinction is blurred. Many people believe the stereotype that women are more talkative, but in reality it all depends on circumstances. In public meetings and formal conversations men tend to take the lead, but in a relaxed atmosphere women talk more. (Bauer, et al, 2006a). As we can see there is a vast range of English variations nowadays, and their implication for language teaching and studying is inevitable. Proper learning material should be provided to prepare students to face different language variants. Children have to be aware of the situation and should not consider their manner of speaking as the only right form. All of these variations can be effectively used in language teaching and learning in order to improve students’ knowledge and competences. For instance, during listening comprehension assignments teachers can provide podcasts with different dialects or variants of English. In such a way children will learn to understand several models of English speech and will not face any difficulties communicating with people in future. Furthermore, teachers can give pupils a task to write an essay as if they were doctors or lawyers. As a result, children will use specific vocabulary and constructions, and their proficiency will definitely improve. Language Change It is already clear that every living language inevitably changes. English has changed greatly throughout history. This process was construed by different people in different ways. Some believed that it was a sign of language degradation; others thought that changes happened for the better. In any way, language transformation took place and there were reasons for that. One of them is simplification. Most languages used to have long complex words, and a meaning of a phrase was conveyed with the help of affixes. Nowadays, however, words are much simpler and shorter, but the word order gained significance (Bauer, et al, 2006b). The theory of simplification can also be underpinned by the change of several words into prefixes and disappearing sounds. There is a profound implication of language change for the learning process. It can help children to understand the importance of some phenomena, such as word order. They will also find out why certain words have acquires new forms or new shades of meaning. Prescriptive and Descriptive Attitudes to Language Variation and Change It is obvious that all the changes described above cannot be left without any feedback. People have different attitude towards the process of language change. Two major attitudes are prescriptive and descriptive. The two approaches are completely opposite and even a bit too categorical. Followers of the prescriptive attitude believe that there is the only variant of a language which is right and should be accepted. They consider it higher than all other dialects and variants which are incorrect and improper. Prescriptivism implies praising the only variant of a language, and diminishing all the other as incorrect (Crystal, 1995a). Descriptive attitudes, on the contrary, do not downplay any dialect or variant of a language. The main aim of this approach is to describe all the peculiarities and explain why certain patterns have appeared. Descriptivism accepts the fact that a language is always changing and does not treat other variants disrespectfully. Most people share these two approaches and have both of these attitudes (Crystal, 1995a). The attitudes of teachers towards language changes can have serious implications for the learners. If children are taught according to prescriptivism, their comprehension of a language can be limited. They will underestimate language changes which will inevitably take place. Descriptivism in language teaching will, on the contrary, give children a better understanding of a language. It will prepare the learners for contact with other variants of a language, and they will deal with future language changes more easily. Conclusion To sum everything up, all living languages have been changing over time and continue this process nowadays. The English language is not an exception. As a result, there exist a great number of different variants and dialects of English. Language variations are caused by a number of social factors, such as geographical origin, social background, age, gender and even personal interests. These changes are met with both enthusiasm and objection. Prescriptive approach accepts only one variant of English as proper and correct. Descriptive attitudes, on the contrary, do not diminish any existing dialect. They just describe and explain the peculiarities of language variants. People rarely stick to purely prescriptive views, as the language is changing constantly, and it is impossible to stay aside of all those linguistic innovations. Reference List Bauer, L., Holmes, J. & Warren, P. (2006a). “Do women and men speak differently?”. In Language matters (pp. 146-155). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Bauer, L., Holmes, J. & Warren, P. (2006b). “Things ain’t what they used to be”. In Language matters (pp. 26-35). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Crystal, D. (1995a). “Prescriptive Attitudes”. In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (pp. 366-367). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Crystal, D. (1995b). “Regional Variation”, “Social Variation”, “Personal Variation”. In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (pp. 298, 306-307, 364-365, 394-395). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More