English · Year 13 · Linguistic Diversity and Change · Autumn Term

Language and Power: Prescriptivism vs. Descriptivism

Debating the role of language authorities and the natural evolution of language, examining attitudes towards 'correct' English.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: English Language - Language and Power
• A-Level: English Language - Attitudes to Language

About This Topic

Prescriptivism promotes strict rules for 'correct' language, upheld by authorities such as dictionaries and style guides, while descriptivism records actual usage patterns and accepts natural evolution. Year 13 students debate these positions, justify arguments for and against prescriptivism in contemporary society, and examine how attitudes to language variation reveal social power structures. They evaluate tools like grammar books and their effects on change.

This content aligns with A-Level English Language standards in Language and Power and Attitudes to Language. Students analyze real examples, from complaints about 'slang' in media to shifts in pronoun usage, connecting linguistic debates to issues of class, identity, and authority. Key questions prompt critical evaluation of who controls language norms.

Active learning suits this topic well. Debates and role-plays position students as advocates, sharpening argumentation skills. Collaborative text analysis uncovers usage trends, challenging fixed views and building evidence-based reasoning through shared discovery.

Key Questions

1. Justify the arguments for and against linguistic prescriptivism in modern society.
2. Analyze how attitudes towards language variation reflect broader social power dynamics.
3. Evaluate the impact of dictionaries and grammar guides on language change.

Learning Objectives

• Critique the philosophical underpinnings of prescriptivist and descriptivist language theories.
• Analyze linguistic texts to identify instances of prescriptivist bias and descriptivist observation.
• Evaluate the social and political implications of language standardization efforts.
• Synthesize arguments to construct a persuasive case for either a prescriptivist or descriptivist approach to language in a specific context.

Before You Start

Introduction to Linguistics: Language Variation and Change

Why: Students need foundational knowledge of how language naturally changes and varies across different communities before debating prescriptive rules.

Sociolinguistics: Language and Social Identity

Why: Understanding how language use is linked to social factors like class and identity is crucial for analyzing power dynamics in language debates.

Key Vocabulary

Prescriptivism	The belief that language should conform to a set of established rules or standards, often dictating what is considered 'correct' or 'proper' usage.
Descriptivism	The linguistic approach that describes language as it is actually used by speakers, without judgment or imposing rules about how it 'should' be used.
Language Authority	An institution, publication, or individual recognized for setting or influencing language norms, such as dictionaries, style guides, or prominent linguists.
Language Variation	Differences in language use based on factors like region, social group, age, or context, often a point of contention between prescriptivist and descriptivist views.
Standard English	A form of English often considered the 'default' or 'prestige' dialect, typically used in formal contexts and promoted by educational institutions and media.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Prescriptivism prevents language from deteriorating.

What to Teach Instead

Language evolves through use, not decay; many prescriptive rules, like avoiding ending sentences with prepositions, stem from Latin biases rather than English logic. Debate activities expose historical shifts, such as accepted split infinitives, helping students question authority via peer evidence sharing.

Common Misconception

Descriptivism approves all language uses without standards.

What to Teach Instead

Descriptivism documents dominant patterns, from which standards emerge organically. Corpus data analysis in pairs reveals frequency-based norms, like regional dialect acceptance, allowing students to distinguish description from prescription through collaborative pattern spotting.

Common Misconception

Dictionaries create language rules from scratch.

What to Teach Instead

Dictionaries reflect widespread usage, adding words based on evidence. Comparing editions in group tasks shows inclusions like 'selfie' driven by cultural shifts, fostering understanding of democratic language change over top-down control.

Active Learning Ideas

Formal Debate: Prescriptivists vs Descriptivists

Divide the class into two teams and distribute evidence packs with quotes from linguists like Johnson and Crystal. Each team prepares a 5-minute opening statement and rebuttals. Conclude with a class vote and reflection on persuasive techniques.

50 min·Whole Class

Pairs Analysis: Dictionary Entry Evolution

Pairs select words like 'aggressive' or 'literally' and compare entries from an 18th-century dictionary to a modern one. They note changes in definitions and discuss influences of usage. Share findings in a whole-class chart.

30 min·Pairs

Role-Play: Language Tribunal

In small groups, assign roles: prescriptivist judge, descriptivist expert witness, and everyday speakers defending usages like 'double negatives'. Groups stage 10-minute trials, then debrief on power dynamics.

40 min·Small Groups

Survey Stations: Attitudes to Variation

Set up stations with prompts on dialects or texting norms. Groups survey 5 classmates per station, tally responses, and create graphs. Discuss results to link data to social attitudes.

35 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Journalists and editors at major newspapers like The Guardian or The New York Times must adhere to style guides, often reflecting a prescriptivist stance, when reporting news and maintaining a consistent voice.
• Software developers creating natural language processing tools, such as voice assistants or translation services, must grapple with the diversity of language use, leaning towards descriptivist principles to ensure broad comprehension.
• Librarians and archivists curating historical documents and modern texts face decisions about how to represent language as it was used versus how it is used now, impacting future linguistic study.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Present students with a short article or social media post that criticizes a new word or grammatical construction. Ask: 'Is the criticism based on prescriptivist or descriptivist principles? Justify your answer with specific examples from the text and explain who might hold this view and why.'

Quick Check

Provide students with two short passages about language: one written from a prescriptivist viewpoint and one from a descriptivist viewpoint. Ask them to identify the core argument of each passage and list one piece of evidence used by the author.

Peer Assessment

Students write a one-paragraph argument defending either prescriptivism or descriptivism in the context of online communication. They then exchange paragraphs with a partner. The partner identifies the main claim and provides one piece of feedback on the strength of the argument or the clarity of the language used.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to teach prescriptivism vs descriptivism for A-Level English Language?

Start with contrasting definitions and historical figures like Samuel Johnson. Use debates on modern issues, such as grammar in social media, to build skills in justification and analysis. Incorporate corpus tools like the British National Corpus for evidence, linking to exam-style evaluation of language authorities.

What examples illustrate language power dynamics in prescriptivism?

Consider media outrage over celebrity 'errors' like 'could of' or non-standard dialects in politics. These reflect class-based power, where dominant groups enforce norms. Students can analyze clippings from The Times or BBC complaints to trace attitudes and social exclusion.

How can active learning help Year 13 students grasp language attitudes?

Role-plays as language police or surveys of peer views make abstract power dynamics personal and immediate. Group debates build empathy for opposing sides, while data graphing from class attitudes reveals patterns tied to identity. These methods boost retention and critical thinking over passive reading.

How does this topic connect to A-Level English Language standards?

It directly supports Language and Power through analysis of authority influences and Attitudes to Language via variation debates. Key questions on justifying prescriptivism and social dynamics prepare for NEA and exams, emphasizing synthesis of discourse and child language acquisition contexts.