LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY - Essay Example Variants of such are all observed and spoken having only minor linguistic, social and ideological differences. However, countries having English as their first language, owe to protect and preserve it from foreign influences, displaying minor differences at large. Since the dominancy of English with the British World dominance in the 19th Century, the English Language not only progressed but became the language of International Business, Diplomacy and Science. Being the official Language of United Nations and International Olympics Committee, English seems to be the common medium of communication between countries, owing to its effectiveness as a global language. It is estimated to be spoken by 750 million people around the world as their first language. However, the public debate about the English Language’s notion of standards has come into view since the 1980’s. The concern had resulted in the devising of a National Curriculum for English. But the drive for national individuality and integrity has failed to achieve the target as arthrography of every language is dependent on its context, pronunciation and structure. Standard English Standard English is notoriously hard to define. The concept and notion of Standard English lacks reference and base. Standard English is associated with authority, discipline and traditional, moral and social order.   It is a form of a dialect, with no local base of reference as to where it is originally originated from (AGER, MUSKENS and WRIGHT, 1993). Historically, English emerged from the combination of Celtic Language of the Britain inhabitants, which was mixed with the language of the emigrating Angles, Saxons and the Jutes. Hence, it is often taken as the different combinations of the linguistic features. In correct or more conceptual sense, it is taken as a written per formative. Orthography, grammar and vocabulary are chiefly what matter, or they in fact can be the definition of Standard English as differe nt countries where English is chiefly used like U.S, U.K, New Zealand, Canada etc. all strive towards maintaining their international identity and so the variations in Standard English occur region wise in terms of pronunciation and context but the written grammar, vocabulary and orthography remains similar. Variations in Standard English’s notion The attitude towards Standard English and its identity is different to all. It differs on the ideological, social and linguistic differences or mindsets. The philosophy and anthropology of every language is based on its use, which in turn is influenced by the history, culture and traditions of the people using the language. Cultural and ideological mind frame influence lifestyle and so the dialect of the people living in a region or a community. Even in a country, national language spoken in different provinces is spoken in different pronunciations as regard to the cultural influence on the language. Similar is the case with Standar d English- there is no standard pronunciation. It is the identity badge of a social group and must be handled properly and with all due respect (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001) A local unit comprising of members of common locality and primary interaction develop Speech community, contributing to the social effects of a society on a language. Thus, English is the mosaic of small speech communities as there exists Texas Speech community for there are London and Bostonians, Harvard speech community fo