Sample Worksheet On Language Change
Language change is the manner in which the phonetic, morphological, semantic, syntactic, and other features of a language are modified over time. All languages are continually changing. At any given moment the English language, for example, has a huge variety within itself, and this variety is known as synchronic variation. From these different forms comes the effect on language over time known as diachronic change. Two linguistic disciplines concern themselves with studying language change: historical linguistics and sociolinguistics. Historical linguists examine how a language was spoken in the past and seek to determine how present languages derive from it and are related to one another. Sociolinguists are interested in the origins of language changes and want to explain how society and changes in society influence language. (from: Wikipedia)
Question 1: Can you think of examples of language change(s) in English?
Question 2: Can you think of reasons why a langue may change over time?
Language Variation
Synchronic variation consists of the range of accents and dialects, sociolects and idiolects that happen to be in use within one language. Regional variation has long been documented, as has social variation such as Black English in the USA, and Upper-middle class pronunciation in England.
Dialect: A variant of a langue which has different syntax, morphology and / or lexis. For example, in Mancunian English the word “barm cake” means “bread roll” and is not widely understood outside Greater Manchester. Grammar is another aspect in which dialects may differ. In Standard English, a speaker would say: “I was standing at the bus stop”. In many Northern English dialects this is often rendered as: “I was stood at the bus stop”.
Accent: Purely the way in which the language is pronounced. Someone can speak Standard English, but have a North-Western accent for example. Sociolect: A language spoken by one particular social group. In most Western countries, young people
Question 1: Can you think of examples of language change(s) in English?
Question 2: Can you think of reasons why a langue may change over time?
Language Variation
Synchronic variation consists of the range of accents and dialects, sociolects and idiolects that happen to be in use within one language. Regional variation has long been documented, as has social variation such as Black English in the USA, and Upper-middle class pronunciation in England.
Dialect: A variant of a langue which has different syntax, morphology and / or lexis. For example, in Mancunian English the word “barm cake” means “bread roll” and is not widely understood outside Greater Manchester. Grammar is another aspect in which dialects may differ. In Standard English, a speaker would say: “I was standing at the bus stop”. In many Northern English dialects this is often rendered as: “I was stood at the bus stop”.
Accent: Purely the way in which the language is pronounced. Someone can speak Standard English, but have a North-Western accent for example. Sociolect: A language spoken by one particular social group. In most Western countries, young people