An answer to the question... Has language variation decreased over time. Revision for English Language AQA A Level paper 2. This was marked by my teacher and scored 26/30.
01 Evaluate the idea that language variation has decreased over time. [30 marks]
Everyone has an accent, which refers to the pronunciation of words, and everyone has a
dialect which is the variation in words and grammar. Often the most important influence on
our accent and dialect is where we live as each area of the country is different, this is known
as regional variation. However, some linguistics argue variation is decreasing over time.
Dialect levelling is the process whereby language forms of different parts of the country
converge and become more similar over time, with the loss of regional features and reduced
diversity of language. There are many different reasons for this, for example, migration and
the ease of travel means unlike the past people are not staying in their hometowns for their
entire lives, instead we have frequent exposure to other accents and dialects. For example
in university, living with many different people from different backgrounds can cause us to
diverge away from our extreme accents and dialects and adopt a more subtle, general one.
An example of this is studies that have discovered a ‘General Northern English’ accent
formed among the urban middle class. Analysis of speech patterns found it difficult to
distinguish between the accents of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. There were still some
observed differences between cities like Liverpool and Newcastle however the way the
accents differ has changed as some of the traditional features of the dialect were not
present. This is evidence for the fact local accents are dying out and being replaced by a
more general, widespread variety - educated, urban and northern. However, it can be said
some accents resist dialect levelling and converge, for example, the scouse becoming more
scouse, which would suggest language variation is not decreasing.
However, it can actually be said the increase of technology and ease of travel is actually
increasing language variation. Jenny Cheshire, Paul Kerswill and Sue Fox have all identified
a new form of language used by Young people in London known as multicultural London
English. Some key features include new lexis such as nang (cool), creps (trainers), bare (a
lot) and shubz (party). It also involves th fronting, th stopping and the reversal of h-dropping
found in Cockney. Pitts noted that young Black English speakers were shifting towards a
language that suggested a resistance identity, conveying the argument that these speakers
are actively increasing language variation by not converging to mainstream standardised
accents and dialects. This then spread to other cities leading linguists to describe it as
Multicultural Urban British English. Rampton notes that other ethnic groups like white and
asians started to use it as it was ‘cool, tough and good to use’. Also, young people use
particular features that relate to their social practices of friendship networks. The use of
technology and media is a key influence on MLE travelling outside of London and being
increasingly used across English. This is an important example of how language variation is
increasing amongst young people due to this new dialect, relating back to the fact Eckert
called teenagers the ‘movers and shakers of language’. MLE speakers of whatever ethnicity
are accused of ‘sounding black; by outsiders and experience extreme critique and hostility in
the media, yet the speakers withstand this and MLE remains popular. Thus indicating how
speakers can resist attempts to standardise language and instead create new and long
lasting dialects.
Haugen identifies four processes that seek to explain how language is standardised.
Selection of an existing language variety as the basis, usually that of the most powerful in
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