The Politics of Linguistic Correctness: Who Decides Language Rules?
By
Danielle Dionne, Ph.D.
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
This article explores the concept of linguistic correctness and who gets to decide language rules. It examines how language insecurities affect both learners and native speakers, using examples from English, French, and Spanish to illustrate how arbitrary many 'rules' actually are. The piece questions traditional prescriptive grammar approaches and discusses the social dynamics behind language standardization.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledBeing self-conscious about speaking or your accent isn't only something that happens to new learners—you can have insecurities or anxiety around speaking your own language, too
Have you ever been told that you said something wrong in the language you know best?
Many English speakers say you should never end a sentence with a preposition
In French, it's common to correct someone who says they're going au coiffeur instead of chez le coiffeur
How do we know what's good or bad in a language? Who decides the rules?
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