Language has been said to effect culture and a person’s way of thinking; in addition to culture effecting language. Throughout the last 100 years there have been apparent and subtle changes in the English language. The changes an English speaking person may see throughout their life time are different catchphrases, the way language is written, the type of formality used, and how deeply English is affected by cultures; as well as how it effects other cultures around the world. Catchphrases change within the English languages just like the tide. One day people may be saying “biting off more than you can chew” (Lasiter) to saying “up shit creek without a paddle” (Martin) the next; both meaning something along the lines of being in an unpleasant predicament. When using a catchphrase one can get across their meaning in a more colorful and youthful manner than just saying “you’re in an unpleasant predicament at the moment.” Another example would be, “looney toons,” (Lasiter) “fruity as a fruit cake,” (Lasiter) and “bats in the belfry” (Martin) all meaning crazy or eccentric. Some of these catchphrases are just passing fades and others timeless and can go on for centuries more. Our catchphrases are influenced by the culture and technology around us; such as “looney toons,” derived from the T.V show, Looney Toons, created by the Warner Brothers Studios. If the television was never developed the Looney Toons characters may have never been created; thus, the phrase “looney toons” would have never been thought of. Formality can have an impact on whether or not a catchphrase is used in conversation. Formality can transform over time just like catchphrases. Like the way formality is a courtesy in a work place or at a family reunion. Through... ... middle of paper ... ...lish is driving a wedge into the world by making its self-known to the people around the world; hence, English is trying to become the global language. With American’s economy hanging on a thread, English as a global language could be in danger of dying out and letting another language take root in its place. This is similar to how Latin died out. u Works Cited Graddol, David. The Future of English? Online ed. London: British Council, 2000. N. page. Www.britishcouncil.org. British Council, 2000. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Lasiter, Susan A. "Catchphrases." Personal interview. 24 Mar. 2014. Martin, Gary. "161 Phrases 'Coined in the USA'" American Phrases and Sayings. Phrasefinder, 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Table Manners (1947). Prod. Christy Associates. Perf. Virginia Hopkins Emily Post. Rolab Studios, 1947. YouTube. Post (Emily) Institute, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Since it’s been a predominant topic of our discussion, let us talk about the infamous English language. We can be sure that it has painstakingly progressed throughout generations of reevaluation and modernization, and has thus become what it is today. It has gone in several directions to try and mesh with the various epochs of language, from the Shakespearean era to the common English slang we use now, we can all agree that English is a language that has been transcending and will continue to transcend into many
Ultimately, the word choices a writer makes can impact the audience's feelings and expectations. Lunsford helps the reader understand when it is appropriate to use informal and formal language, and the different types of language that can be used to do this such as slang, colloquial, and jargon. Slang as explained by Lunsford, is a particularly informal form of language that has a tendency to change quickly and is used by a minimal amount of people. On the other hand, colloquial language is not as informal in comparison to slang and is more widely used. The author cautions writers' about using these forms of language, as both can cause the audience to misunderstand the intended message and even affect the writer's credibility. Alternatively, jargon is the vocabulary used by various occupations as a way for members of the field to simplify their communication. However Lunsford stresses, this type of communication should only be used for an appropriate audience as jargon can also become a hindrance. She advises the writer to first analyze the audience to ensure their ability to understand the jargon that will be used. Afterward Lunsford transitions into the explanations of pompous language, euphemisms, and doublespeak and when these types of language can be used effectively. As for pompous
The English language has been in constant transition throughout its history, but the most significant transformation in modern English can be credited to William Shakespeare. With Shakespeare’s invention of commonly used expressions, his creation of new words, and his use of iambic pentameter, he was able to affect the language in a way that no person since has. Shakespeare’s influence on modern English is not only visible in everyday speech, but also in the fact that his work has survived over four hundred years and it continues to be performed and read worldwide.
Another difficulty cultures deal with is language and the way people speak. In some cases, people struggle to belong by making changes in the way they speak the English language just to be assimilated. They attempt to use words and letters, as well as body language that fit in the norm; all in an attempt to denounce their original intonation and style of pronunciation. One ...
I considered English as a popular language tool among a lot of cultures. As an international I gathered the view point of its popularity among many cultures. At the beginning I look at English as a tool with certain structures. But there’s more into it. English is the production and analysis of texts.
Language change can be caused by numerous factors including political and social shifts. As societies evolve the pre-existing language is often replaced by a newer more popular one. Language change also happens as a result of time. Different people in a society use their language in ways that vary depending on their age, gender, race and social economic class. When language change is a result of large political and social shifts it can happen very rapidly. Many of the examples studied in this course document languages being forced out of use by new political parties. Adult speakers are no longer allowed to speak publicly in their native tongue and young speakers are taught a new language. If a language does not have new speakers using it, it will die out with the silent elders. The subtle language changes that take place over time often go unnoticed until they are more main-stream. As this class has shown people of one regional area can vary greatly in how they use their native language. Generational differences appear in language through ...
As you move across countries and culture it is becoming increasing evident that English is a very wide-spread and dominant language. With this excessive use of English comes a wide range of forms of the language and literacy. The English language has been changed and manipulated by factors including time, culture, different social classes and different modes of communicating. Literacy has also changed over time and is now no longer just about writing and reading but can be split into two categories including multi-modal and multiplicity. Teachers shoals be embracing these changes in language and also be aware that students will have different forms of English.
Languages are continually changing and developing, and these changes occur in many different ways and for a variety of reasons. Language change is detectable to some extent in all languages, and ‘similar paths of change’ can be recognised in numerous unrelated languages (Bybee, 2015, p. 139). Since users of language all over the world have ‘the same mental processes’ and ‘use communication for the same or very similar ends’ (Bybee, 2015, p. 1), similar changes occur on the same linguistic aspects, and in many cases these changes produce similar results in multiple languages. However, language change is limited by the function it performs. Languages must be learnt to such an extent which allows communication between the generation above and below one’s own (McMahon, 1994, p. 5). Hence language change is a gradual, lethargic process, as only small changes in
In life we sometimes experience cultural differences. In The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan shows how mother daughter relationships are affected by these cultural differences. Therefore each of the mothers and daughters has a different view on their Chinese culture.
Over the past years, linguists have put a lot of emphasis on the learning of not only English itself but also the culture of English-speaking societies. Cortazzi and Jin (1999) propose three categories of culture in English textbooks to be investigated. The first is the source culture referring to the learners’ native culture. The second is the target culture where the target language is used as a first language, for example American or British culture. The third category is the international target culture, which denotes different varieties of the target culture from both English and non-English speaking countries like France, Spain, etc. They are not alone in their view. McKay (2000) also points out three types of cultural materials including the target culture, the learners’ own culture and the international target culture. It is obvious that the cultural context of British and American English can differ greatly from the context of non-native speakers, and it is irrelevant for learners of English to depend on the culture of native speakers of English to communicate with other users of English (McKay, 2003b).
How Millennials are Changing the English Language Samuel Tristan Baladad I. Introduction: The English language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is a dominant language. As the time flows, new words are being added to the English dictionary. There are various reasons for the English language to evolve, and one of the reasons that impacts the most is the effect of new technologies being developed over time. In the current generation what demographers refer to as Generation Y also known as millennials, the generation of people born between the early 1980s to 2000s, are causing a gradual change to the English language.
...al systems, together with morphology, syntax and vocabulary. It is recognized that multilingualists have got to learn in what ways grammatical, phonemic, and semantic policies can be generalized across two or more languages and, if this is not possible, they must go for awareness of any methodical structural dissimilarities. This is particularly pertinent when two languages do not contribute to the similar syntactical rules. On the other hand, it is necessary to keep in mind that the process of flattering literacy cannot be alienated from the social background. Language is eventually a means of expression and individuality. References David Crystal (1997) English as a Global Language, Cambridge University Press. Graddol, David. The future of English? A guide to forecasting the popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. London British Council (1997)
Contrary to what the early detractors of the American English language used to say, American English is not an offensive offshoot of real English, but has over the centuries made its own mark in the world of language and communication, and is also poised at this juncture in human history to actually slowly become the main dialect of English the world over due to the America-centric communication and technological advances made over the past few decades. It is hoped that this essay has given but a glimpse of not only what American English has become, but what it can yet become should America remain a social, cultural, and technological leader in years to come.
There are factors associated with a person’s level of knowledge such as education, contacts, good work habits etc. These factors may also determine the student’s level of knowledge and whether it is knowledge-based, emotive-based or action-based. Some of these factors may greatly affect the person’s personal growth. While some may not affect the person greatly which causes observers to overlook these factors. Culture and language are two of the factors that are commonly overlooked, when acknowledging the reasons why students attain such level of knowledge. The purpose of acknowledging one’s level of knowledge is for him to be able to evaluate himself and help him achieve the higher level of knowledge.
English spreads widely in each countries, no matter the area of region or information transfer, English becomes an important position in global language. As the specification of a global language, it essentially refers to a language that learned and spoken internationally, so English can be the most out-standing. According to the number of English-speaking calculations, English is the official language used by most countries, English is the most widely used second language in the world, and the percentage of web pages with English content is estimated to be over 50% (Crystal, 2003). Meanwhile, the history and usefulness cause English to be a global language, and they mainly influence to spread English faster in China and to bring convenience