AOS 2 unit 3 journal. Grammar pedantry across the generations

Click here for a link to the article.

Title  Grammar pedantry across the generations
Date  28/04/2014
Author  Allie Severin
URL  http://blogs.crikey.com.au/fullysic/2014/04/28/grammar-pedantry-across-the-generations/
Publication  Fully (Sic)
Key Ideas (Point Form)
  •  The younger generations are no less full of prescriptivists when compared with older generations.
  • Younger people (aged below 35) were just as critical against misspellings and also the use of errant apostrophes.
  • They were less critical in some areas such as the use of the singular “they” but are often very strict on a number of errors such as “double negatives spelling mistakes, errant apostrophes and ‘unnecessary’ neologisms.”
  • Younger people cared about different things when it came to the use of English.
  • Younger people were heavily against language that discriminated due to gender.
  • Speakers over 55 believed that Americanism is to blame for the younger generation’s use of language.  Many younger participants thought this was actually just very Australian language.
Feature of Language  Prescriptivism and descriptivism.

language evolves through the generations.

Formal language that is used to avoid taboo.

Aspects of the Course this Article Relates to.  Attitudes within society to different varieties of English, including prescriptivism and descriptivism.

How and why Australian English varies according to culture and age.

Characteristics of Australian English in contrast to World Englishes from other continents.

My opinion on the Article’s comments.  As language use changes through the generations so will the way we judge it change. People will deem words as acceptable language which would have not have been allowed 50 year prior. This may also mean that the reverse can happen and that younger generations will judge words and phrases harder than what the older generation has. I agree that the younger generations are not any less prescriptivist but agree that the older and younger generation are at heads when it comes to many language choices.
Quotes  “Overwhelmingly, removing sex-based discrimination was prioritised over adherence to prescriptive grammar. While ‘correct’ language use was seen as valuable, avoiding marginalising people was more important.”

“We all accept that language changes from generation to generation, but this doesn’t just happen with language that people are producing. It applies to the language they’re judging too.”

“young people care about different things in comparison with older generations when it comes to language.”

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