Hence, the dispersal of a language must be credited to its respective speakers—people, and their practices and customs—and not the core of language itself. Such system is then regarded as the absolute legitimate and “correct” standard of language, and hence, is esteemed above everyday speakers of the language. Getting It: Language standardisation and the Industrial Revolution. LANGUAGE STANDARDIZATION HOW AND WHY Admilson F. S. Silva Luiz de Castro 2. Although standardising language may improve efficiency for the general population, there will be some who fall short of this new-found utility. As such, standard forms of language can differ at different points in time, even within the same society. This cultural evolution gives rise to an interesting phenomenon known as ‘language standardisation’. For many newer countries, though, the development of a standard language has had to take place fairly rapidly, and government intervention has therefore been necessary. “Political correctness’: The politics of culture and language.” Discourse &. Language standardization is often looked to by language communities as a means for language maintenance and strengthening cultural integrity, yet it may also contribute to varying degrees of linguistic discrimination and social conflict. Fast-forwarding to the nineteenth century, the people pf Basque expressed an increasing desire to preserve the nation’s language culture with all its diversities. The first is an elaboration of function, where people of higher social standing perceive this language form to be more valuable and important than other variations. Some might feel that the standard form of a society was chosen because it is superior to all other options. Software languages will evolve over time just like software applications do. (It is, of course, an open question as to how much, if any, standardization is really required. Unsurprisingly, literacy is still highly regarded today as the leading institutional marker for a nation’s development. Actually, any language varies according to , the nature of the society, what kind of people, and their attitudes. Oxford University Press, 2012, Ana Deumert, Language Standardization, and Language Change: The Dynamics of Cape Dutch. A&C Black. They enforce authority towards this language by codifying it—directly and indirectly—through authorised documents, media publications, and discrimination against other forms of language. Furthermore, it creates a sort of ignorance towards other dialects and ways of speaking. Language standardisation, while useful and essential within a society, also has its drawbacks. Chinese exists in a number of varieties that are popularly called dialects but that are usually classified as separate languages by scholars. Milroy, James. Here’s the formula for standardization: James and Lesley Milroy expressed that language standardisation does not symbolise an actual end-product, but rather, a significant process with no completion. Oure language is also so dyuerse in it selfe that the commen maner of spekynge in Englysshe of some contre can skante [= scarcely] be vnderstondid in som other contre of the same lond (Lydgate, 1530) And certaynly our langage now vsed varyeth ferre [ far ] from that whiche was vsed and spoken whan I … Certain sects of the community were opposed to the inclusion of the letter ‘h’. Milroy, James and Lesley Milroy. Lastly, a writing system is established to prescribe this language (along with official dictionaries and guidebooks). This cultural evolution gives rise to an interesting phenomenon known as ‘language standardisation’. Thus, we can see that language standardisation is not only concerned with linguistic and literary goals, but also largely fuelled by economics, trade, and enterprise (Milroy 534-535). S. Rayjashree of the Project on Modernization and Language Development at the Institute of Culture and Communication, East-West Center, Honolulu, for what I … One example of standardization is the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)GAAPGAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, is a commonly recognized set of rules and procedures designed to govern corporate account… Standardization may occur as a natural development of a language in a speech community or as an effort by members of a community to impose one dialect or variety as a standard. Overall, the whole process aims to create a ‘melting pot’ environment, homogenising a certain culture that comes with the language. Romper, 25 March 2016, https://www.romper.com/p/rihannas-work-lyrics-use-creole-patois-totally-confusing-music-critics-7707. British Library Board. Alcuin brought in 'good Latin' because it came from books; it didn't have all the 'problems' that came from a language being spoken as a native tongue. Crystal, David. 19. John Benjamins Publishing, 2004. Language unification, standardization and corpus development imply a sophisticated national or collective effort which has to deal with philosophical, political — and technical — issues. He had stressed on the fact that “Basque should move towards unification, and unification should commence chiefly with matters of form” (Elkartea 36). standardization definition: 1. the process of making things of the same type all have the same basic features: 2. the process…. (domains, timetables, territorial extent, etc.) A Little Book of Language. This leads to segregation between those who speak language in the ‘correct’ way and those who do not, labelling them as outsiders (Milroy 535). But when Charlemagne conquered his huge kingdom in 800, he brought in Alcuin from England. selection and codification) as well as the social and communicative functions of language (status planning, i.e. In addition, standard languages are also discursive projects, and standardization processes are typically accompanied by the development of specific discourse practices. Charlemagne mandated it for his whole empire. Accessed 6 March 2017. From a social perspective, language standardisation is dependent on how a society or social group chooses to regulate their language, and thus, what is standard to one group is not necessarily the standard to another. Thus, we should remember that language standardisation is a process aimed at creating one standard, cohesive language in a society, although (due to the dynamic nature of society) it generally does not achieve this goal. Standardization or standardization is a process that takes place in stages; was not completely finished. Updated January 08, 2019. Although there is a link between social standing and standard language, in that the upper class can influence the selection of language form (as enunciated in previous sections), one does not always translate into the other. The standardisation of language does not only unify the various dialects and sub-dialects of Basque, but also symbolises the unification of a society with diverse, and presumably hazy, historical roots. Leith, Dick. Hence the prestige and legitimacy of a ‘standard’ does not in the first instance, as The confluence of diverse cultures and perspectives within a territory serves as one explanation for the evolution of language. John Benjamins, 2004. First, he nominated the central dialect as the standard language of the country as he believed it to be “where the heart of [the] country is, and because it has played a dynamic role in the history of [their] literature” (Elkartea 32). Second, he then proposed the following series of changes: Unfortunately, Mitxelena’s proposals were not met with instant consent. In sociolinguistics, language variety—also called lect—is a general term for any distinctive form of a language or linguistic expression. Language educators were also deeply motivated to teach the standard Basque. Following, the society must then express a desire for uniformity by filtering out any irregularities and establishing a consistent communication system between individuals. Received Pronunciation. Learn more. Critics. The basic objectives of the academy were: In a further effort to standardise the language of the country, Koldo Mitxelena proposed a set of guidelines for the new language standard in 1968. Chinese languages, principal language group of eastern Asia, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. With every generation, new words are constantly invented and introduced into the language lexicon, which may then be taught to the next generation (Crystal 132). Development in these areas create pressure to establish regularity in other areas, such as currency and language, to facilitate and increase efficiency in communication between countries. This process brings to a language a uniformity and consistent norm and form of writing and speaking, and the promotion of uniformity and consistency usually entails the reduction or elimination of variation. Language standardization is the process by which conventional forms of a language are established and maintained. Secondly, the language then gains prestige within the society for being associated with those of high social status. One point to note is that human language does not necessarily need to divide into different forms. "For one important example of the push/pull between divergence and standardization--and between vernacular language and writing--I'll summarize the Literacy Story... about Charlemagne, Alcuin, and Latin. A standard language is a language variety that has undergone substantial codification of grammar and usage and is employed by a population for public communication. The process of standardisation involves both ‘ruler-makers’ and ‘rule-breakers’; the former makes the rules for spelling and pronunciation, in addition to selecting/eliminating the meaning of commonly used words. What motivations were there for language standardisation? It is an ongoing historical process that develops a standard written and oral language to be practiced by everyone in a society. The Basque case study is significant not only for the fact that it is relatively recent but that it also reflects Milroy & Milroy’s conception that a language standard is not an end-product to be achieved, but rather, it is a process of development that the society embarks on. People expect their language to serve a role that is beyond communication. These steps or stages in corpus development are also seen as paralleled by policy development, and some analysts enumerate these steps in language policy planning (Eastman 1983:12): . 2010. Formulation: setting the goals of the policy. Unaware of the existence of such slang, fans and music critics alike were quick to deem the song complete ‘gibberish’, despite its lyrics possessing proper meaning and semantics (Thomas). In fact, we use language in many different ways, some of these are, the informational, the expressive, the directive, the phatic, the aesthetic. They believed that the promotion of the standard was “essential to turn Basque into a modern instrument”, 61% of the 196 Basque writers that were interviewed used the standard language in their writings for they believed in the “need to convert the language into an instrument of culture”. Standardization in language, as distinct from script or notation, comea out of these two features, variation in speech and association of language with overtones of social and personal origins. Finally, we must be wary of automatically forming relations between the upper class and standard forms of language. The term standard language occasionally refers to the entirety of a language that includes a standardized form as one of its varieties. For instance, the use of double negatives – ‘that won’t do you no good’ – is deemed confusing, redundant and incorrect by the masses. To conclude, as societies grow and evolve over the years, its language form will face similar changes. Elkartea, Garabide. Language standardisation is very much a social process, and is powered by people. Selection. by Sally Johnson and Tommaso M. Milani. This paper deals with the concepts of language planning and language standardization which are in direct relation with the concept language policy. Hence in 1919, a Basque Language Academy, Euskaltzaindia, was established with the primary aim of formulating a standardwritten language. However, in 1977, almost 65.4% of publications complied with the standard guidelines. Instead of appointing one language form as the standard, Joanes Leizarrage developed a new language – one that was a combination of the various dialects he observed – that he believed would be understood by the general population (Elkartea 25). Deumert, Ana. Is the process of development of a standard for written and/or oral language It occurs in a specific manner that depends on the community and the social, historical and geographic aspects involved. The concern surrounding language variation dates back to the 16th century, where the first attempt for language standardisation was made. A social history of English. Yale University Press, 2010. What is language standardisation? ", "English, of course, developed a standard variety by relatively 'natural' means, over the centuries, out of a kind of consensus, due to various social factors. This essentially re-emphasises that language standardisation is a process, not an end-result. An Example of Standardization and Divergence: Latin, The Creation and Enforcement of Language Standards, Definition and Examples of Acrolects in Language, What You Should Know About Creole Language, Definition and Examples of Linguistic Prestige, Key Events in the History of the English Language, Definition and Examples of Dialect Leveling, Standard English Definitions and Controversies, Definition and Examples of Codification in English. Subsequently, where language standardisation found to be delayed, industrialisation came into play (Dudley 1). The standard language is a planned and designed unitary referential variant the purpose of which is to provide cultural, political, and social cohesion on the territory on which it is official. Some features of this site may not work without it. Standardization focuses on the product creation process, operations of businesses, technology in use, and how specific compulsory processes are instituted or carried out. Penguin, 2000, (Peter Elbow, Vernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing. Standardization of language course is considered very important in the process of language planning. Particularly the older, conservative delegates believed it to be a pointless addition of an alphabet that could not be pronounced (Elkartea 34). For one, it was the Industrial Revolution – a period of great social, political, and economical change in Great Britain. Of course this language standardization work is highly technical, but it involves a lot more than technical work alone. Despite being associated with the upper class and being well-educated, most recent reports suggest that this form is practiced by a mere 2% of the population (British Library Board). in aspects of writing, reading, and speaking), while 80% agreed that learning and using the standard Basque was necessary for work and for everyday life. We need not thinkof them as being chronological. There are different regional dialects, class dialects, situationalvarieties. Accessed 10 March 2017. Another interesting point relates to the superiority of specific language forms. Standardization may occur as a natural development of a language in a speech community or as an effort by members of a community to impose one dialect or variety as a standard. It is the choices societies make that result in differing languages. Dudley, Leon. The confluence of diverse cultures and perspectives within a territory serves as one explanation for the evolution of language. Typically, the language varieties that undergo substantive standardization are the dialects … The latter, in contrast, are then stigmatized for using non-standard dialects. 3.3 The Process of Language Standardization Standardization is a necessary and vital process in any language. Establishing a standard language ultimately shapes the standard ‘reality’ of the people (Fairclough 203-4). Language can have scores of characteristics but the following are the most important ones: language is arbitrary, productive, creative, systematic, vocalic, social, non-instinctive and conventional. Language and power: An introduction to institutional discourse. Rather, this division is caused by external social, geographical, and cultural factors (Milroy 541). Hence, we can see that this division is somewhat “man-made”. Another quality of a good assessment is standardization. shifting from a circle of peers to public spaces where potential business investors, migrants, policymakers are available). implementation and elaboration). With increasing literacy rates to match this language demand, citizens could advance from primary to secondary level, manufacturing-related occupations. Having earned a BA in linguistics some time ago, and having made use of a lot of linguistic information in 23 years as a speech/language therapist, I have to disagree with a number of others who have answered this question. The term standardization is generally used within linguistics to refer to the process of bringing about a standard language. Fairclough, Norman. Variability is a fact of life for almost all languages. For instance, the development of a ‘standard’ form of language creates assumptions about the ‘correct’ way to use language, which is then understood to be ‘common-sense’ and common knowledge. Thus, those who refuse or cannot acquire the standard language properly are marginalised in the society, further widening the language gap. It is an ongoing historical process that develops a standard written and oral language to be practiced by everyone in a society. One example of this is British Received Pronunciation, which some scholars deem the ‘standard’ form of English in the United Kingdom (Milroy 532-533). More people speak a variety of Chinese as a However, resulting from this diversity was the lack of a cultural or political power to unify the nation (until recently), as so, the language community was divided into dialects, fourteen sub-dialects, and numerous local varieties that each belong to different communities within the country (Elkartea 21). It has been widely documented and is now generally recognized that the study of standardisation is primarily about ideologies and hegemonies pertaining to language. In line with the said, the stands of several linguists about the a/s phenomena are presented as the Therefore, it is evident that it does not represent the consensus of the United Kingdom. Mayr, Andrea. Rihanna’s ‘Work’ Lyrics Use Creole & Patois, Totally Confusing Music. STANDARDIZING? Once it has gained general approval, the standard language is rigorously maintained through several means. Thus, keep in mind that language standardisation is a conscious course of development that produces both good and bad effects. The term re-standardization refers to the ways in which a language may be reshaped by its speakers and writers. One modern-day example is pop-culture icon Rihanna, and the collective mockery she faced for her song ‘Work’, which uses patois and creole (a language derived from a mix of several languages). Formulation, Codification, Elaboration, and Implementation. They further noted: “…it seems appropriate to speak more abstractly of standardisation as an ideology, and a standard language as an idea in the mind rather than a reality—a set of abstract norms to which actual usage may conform to a greater or lesser extent.” (p. 19). British Library, n.d.. http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/find-out-more/received-pronunciation/. Primarily concerned with the evolution of specific human languages, standardisation can only occur when a society has an existing cultivation of their own language and communicative methods. The goal of standardization is to ensure uniformity to certain practices within the industry. Codification:. Those whom have accepted and are familiarised with the standard language can engage in discourse (Deumert 2), so to generate knowledge about communicative methods and processes. We use language and that language is a part of society. Psychology Press, 1997. Language standardization is the process by which conventional forms of a language are established and maintained. language standardization, ther efore, is less about language itself as function and structure, than it is about ideologies and hegemonies about lang uage, or what is called “language ideology”. Language change: the Politics of culture and language. ” discourse & Mitxelena ’ development... 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