A Level English Language Social Groups A* Essay: Social Age Influencing Language
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Course
Unit 2 ENGA2 - Representation and Language
Institution
AQA
This A-Level English Language AQA Essay covers the Social Groups topic of the course, and achieved an A*. The essay title is: 'Evaluate the idea that your age influences the way in which you use language'. This is perfect for Year 12 and 13 students currently studying AQA A-Level English Language.
Evaluate the idea that your age has a significant influence on the way in which you use
language
(30 Marks)
Age is certainly a factor that can influence the way in which one uses language, right from being born, our
development of language is vital. However, as we grow older, our age may be seen to become less of a
significant influence, as other factors such as occupations and social groups come into play.
As soon as you’re born, your language development occurs at a similar- if not the same- rate as those
who are the same age around you. Children, in the vegetative stage, tend to babble and coo, creating
sounds that may be in response to their surroundings or be word-like utterances that inform the recipient
of something such as ‘ca!’ when pointing out a ‘cat’. According to Noam Chomsky, the ways in which
children learn language- especially in the pre-verbal and holophrastic stages of development- rely upon
the ‘L-A-D’ or the Language Acquisition Device which is a biological device in the brain that allows
children to pick up characteristics of language innately, without the influence of those around them-
reinforcing that age does have a significant influence on the way in which we use language. However, as
studies have shown, interaction is almost always necessary for further language progression- such as in
the case of Genie, a child neglected and tortured for 13 years who knew only 50 words post-release.
As people age into their teens (around 13-19), age becomes a distinguishing factor in their language use.
According to Penelope Eckert in her 1970’s study of teenage-speak, people at this age tend to establish a
connection to a certain social group and youth culture in order to set themselves apart.They may choose
to distinguish themselves by using slang- something that is arguably constantly evolving with our
increasingly ageing population. In an article by the BBC, ‘How teenagers keep reinventing language’ it
was made clear that people at this age constantly reinvent language to create identity and present a
sense of ‘in-group pride’. Slang may, however, be influenced by other factors such as the media and pop
culture. Stormzy- British music artist- used slang such as ‘safe’ and ‘man’ in many of his radio interviews,
however later converged his accent when being interviewed by the more prestigious and upper class BBC
News.
However, age becomes less of a restrictive factor as teenagers grow up into becoming ‘emerging adults’.
This was a term coined by Bigham, that stated 19-25 year old’s language is considerably less rigid than
those younger to them. As they begin to travel, such as moving away from home and going to University,
they mix with people of different cultures and backgrounds, with people of different ethnicities, sexualities,
genders, education, religion and region et. al. Due to this, people become more detached and diverge
from their original way of speaking as they begin to use language that reflects who they are as a person.
This links to the study by Sapir & Whorf that states language can both determine who we are, and reflect
who we are. Their social group is increasingly more open in terms of network as they meet people both in
real life and online- again, causing language to vary. An example of this is in one’s own life when I tend to
converge my language dependent on my interlocutor such as my work colleagues, classmates or parents.
My language will vary dependent on my context and those around me such as using expletives when
around my friendship group, while not when around parents or staff.
Finally, as these ‘emerging adults’ grow into adulthood, occupation becomes one of the most significant
factors in language development and usage. As they begin to specialise in an occupational field of their
choice, their language may narrow and become more specific to that job type. This was something
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