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LIVING LANGUAGE.
English has evolved over many centuries and continues to do so - now at a faster rate than ever before. The Middle English used by Chancer in The Canterbury Tales which was written in the fourteenth century and reflects the influence of other languages, German for instance, would be unintelligible to most people today.
The use of spoken and written English is extremely diverse. Not until the nineteenth century did most people in England learn to write their native language. Up until then most shops had a sign hung outside indicating what they traded in.
When they learnt to read and write pupils discovered that some words with the same sound (homophones) were spelt differently and had different meanings e.g. days and daze. They also found there were numerous words with the same spelling that had a variety of meanings e.g. saw (a tool for cutting wood, or a past tense of the verb to see).
These are called synonyms. Added to this was the use of the same words and phrases that had different meanings in different regions of the country i.e. idioms. In Yorkshire for instance to say that a person is “pulled out” meant that they are extremely busy - not that they have stopped doing something, which would be the inferred meaning to a Londoner.
London Cockneys have a distinct accent and a colourful language all of their own based on rhyming slang. Boracic” for instance, which means having no money, is taken from boracic lint (a commonly used material for dressing wounds) which rhymes with the slang word “skint”. Other expressions for a serious lack of funds used by Londoners and others are “hard up” and “stoney broke”.
English was imposed as the common language with the creation of the United Kingdom (UK). Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man however, each had their own languages based on different forms of Gaelic. In Wales the Welsh language has been retained. Most of the signposts in Wales are in Welsh and English. In some parts of Wales the population is bilingual.
The colonisation of large parts of the world during the expansion of the British Empire led to the widespread introduction of a new language to non-English speaking countries. In some countries like Australia the native tribes were forbidden to use their own languages. This resulted in cocktail languages dubbed Pidgeon English. When these countries later gained their independence they were left with a legacy of English as the language of government.
Immigrants from the UK brought with them words the meaning of which changed. In Australia for instance to say someone is “crook” doesn’t mean they are criminals. It means they are unwell.
In places which received immigrants from different countries, the use of a common language was essential for them to become united. The United States of America (USA) adopted English. In doing so American citizens devised their own form of English - American English. This resulted in creation of new words. “Sidewalk” for pavement, “elevator” for lift and “gas or gasoline” for petrol are typical examples. Some words have crossed back across the Atlantic and have become part of the English repertory, “vacation” for holiday for instance.
All of these variations obviously pose a problem for the student who wants simply to learn English. Various accents and different meanings of words turn a language into an art form that becomes part of the national culture. Artists can represent the same subject in a host of different styles, not all of which may be understood by the viewer.
Picasso’s depiction of the human form in cubist style still mystifies some people. However, everyone is able to recognise a subject in a photograph. And so it is with the English language. In this case, the style of English that is recognised around the world is that used by BBC newscasters. Their job is to make the information they are broadcasting understood by as many of their listeners as possible. So for those who want to learn and use English as a means of factual communication BBC announcers are the best models.
It would be extremely boring if we all spoke English in the same style and with the same accents. Different illustrators make everyday subjects more interesting and stimulating. Likewise, different styles of English make our lives richer.
There are times when the use of BBC English may not be appropriate. Many social groups have a strong accent and local identity. They associate BBC English with snobbery and are antagonistic towards those who use it. Children can be particularly cruel in this respect, especially in school. They openly ridicule and often bully those of their peers whom they consider to “talk posh”. This is very distressing for sensitive children who are genuinely behaving in a manner that comes naturally to them. The solution is for them to have two ways of speaking, one for school and another away from school.
A similar attitude can exist in grown ups, especially if they think an accent is being put on to impress others. A friend of mine who makes documentary TV programmes adopts appropriate idioms when he is working in situations where there are strong anti-establishment attitudes. By doing so he gets much more co-operation when persuading people to do something in front of the cameras than he would if he used the same voice that he later uses to narrate the film.
My advice therefore to those learning English is to remember that the first impression most people get of you is based on what you wear and how you speak. The clear enunciation and delivery of words commands respect and attention. And if that is what you want when you meet someone, especially in a work situation, then you are at a distinct advantage if you speak clearly in good English. At the same time be proud of your roots - whatever they are. Traces of a pleasant national or regional accent that hints at where you came from makes your voice more interesting and intriguing. Most Brits swoon at the sound of English spoken with a French accent!
A short time ago my granddaughters introduced me to a new form of English most of which was completely incomprehensible to me. I refer to text messaging which they used for cheap communication on their mobile phones. They also invited me to visit a chat room on the web via which electronic messages were exchanged with other youngsters around the world.
I could decipher some of the words that came up on the screen which were in a phonetic shorthand. 6E for “sexy” and CUL8R for “see you later” for instance. I was already familiar with shorthand words like ASAP for “as soon as possible” which were made up of the first letters of each word in a phrase or sentence (acronyms). Abbreviations like TOY for “thinking of you” I managed to work out when given a few clues. YANETUT for “You are not expected to understand this.” took me ages, with lots of clues. Other messages used keyboard signs as clever abstract pictorials like (!) for “hug” and ( - ) for “secret smile”. Some like :*( for “I am crying softly” defied me completely until I was told to look at it again after rotating the image through 90o i.e:
I was already aware that the use of text messaging was creeping into common use when it was introduced here and there in e-mails I received from foreign friends. However, I had no idea how extensive it was until I was shown a dictionary composed entirely of text messaging words and phrases, including jokes like “HUHTI abt the golfers sox - he got a hole in one”. This made me realise that youngsters of my granddaughters’’ generation were creating their own language. What I find really exciting however is that text messaging has the potential for becoming a universal language that has its roots in English.
Question: “Where do we go from here?”
Answer: “TPAE”
That’s a text acronym for “The possibilities are endless”.
Those who are text language literate understand :*( as meaning “I am crying softly” regardless of whether they are Chinese or Latvian. This possibility brings to mind Esperanto – a language that was created initially by Dr. L. Zamenhofin in 1887. It was hoped that the widespread adoption of Esperanto as a common language would bring with it the obvious advantages of many people on the planet, especially those in power, being able to communicate directly with one another.
The idea was widely tried but it never really took off. As we have already seen, because the USA is the most richest, powerful country in the world, English has become the language most widely used for international transactions.
All languages evolve. Just how powerful a force text messaging will become is hidden in the mists of the future. What is clear however, is that it is the youngsters who are leading the way. This puts those who bring up young children in an interesting situation. On one hand they must assume that those they are responsible for have little or no knowledge. This puts them into a frame of mind in which they, as teachers, consider themselves as superior, and those who question their authority as nincompoops. On the other hand, as in the case of text messaging and the use of computers, their juniors may be their seniors in terms of both knowledge and ability.
Those who are wise enough to recognise this dilemma see the need to accept that there are times indeed when children can become teachers. This requires the very difficult task of treating youngsters with respect whilst at the same time maintaining the necessary control to ensure that their behaviour does not get out of hand. This scenario brings to mind the words of a very good teacher who was highly respected and loved by her young students. She said, “When I am teaching I am always aware that some of those sitting in my class could be future Nobel Prize winners.”
The general concept that some children may indeed have more knowledge than their teachers is supported by the relatively recent identification of a group of youngsters – dubbed Indigo Children – who appear to have inherited knowledge (see page 46).
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