COMPONENT 1B - STANDARD/NON-STANDARD

Remember, you will be given a choice of THREE questions, and you should only answer ONE.

You have been taught the following three subjects, and so you should identify which of the three questions you are able to answer:

*Language and Power
*Language and Situation
*Standard and non-standard English

You must NOT ANSWER any questions about CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION or questions which focus around how small children use language. You have NOT been taught this.

So, what might come up?

Standard/Non-Standard - Things that could come up

*A transcript of a somebody using regional dialect/ dialect causing confusion in some way
*A published text which is deliberately altering its formality to appeal to a particular audience.
*A text which uses youth idiolect/sociolect
*A text where a linguistic (such as Cryzzer) gives their opinions about standard English.
*A list of public responses to a dialect (such as the Daily Mail comments re: rastamouse)

Basically, any text where SE is important.

Whatever comes up, you need to write around 2-3 paragraphs (a third of your essay) on the different ways power is being displayed within the extract. Once you have done this, you need to refer to you own wider reader on a similar topic, and write at least 4 paragraphs explaining how SE is important in your wider reading.

IMPORTANT

Within this section, it may well be that the examiner shows you a PRESCRIPTIVIST view or a DESCCRIPTIVIST view s your stimulus text. If this happens, rather than analysing the language itself, you should instead aim to identify the different attitudes which are shown within the extract. In a later post, I'll show you a few examples of how to do this.

However, this MUST be on a similar type of power,


Because of this, it is essential that you do enough wider reading on all of the possible branches of SE/NSE so that you will be prepared for whatever comes up.

So...

1. Ensure you research and memorise at least SIX extracts where regional dialect is an issue
2. Do the same for around FOUR texts where PRESCRIPTIVISTS give their opinions on SE
3. Do the same for around FOUR texts where DESCRIPTIVISTS give their opinions on SE.
4. Do the same for around FIVE texts where authors have used NSE to appeal to different audiences.


All of the above can be things you have found yourself. Really, this is in your own hands. Although, we have looked at more than enough stuff in class, so you need to refer to your files/notes.

If this doesn't make sense to you, please let me know.

Nick