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The Mystery of Standard Speech: Why Are Some Language Forms Considered Superior?
In modern society, language is not only a tool for communication, but also a symbol of identity. Against this background, so-called "language norms" have become a powerful force guiding language use. According to linguistic norm theory, there is a clear superiority in language, with certain forms considered more "correct" than others. What is the reason behind this?
Language norms are rules for more acceptable forms of language use, covering spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and semantics.
The purpose of language standards is to promote the unification of social functions and enable each speaker to communicate effectively in diverse language environments. In some cases, such norms may even target specific social or political ideologies, whether promoting anti-discriminatory language or providing priority to the traditional speech of certain social classes.
Historically, authoritative institutions in society (such as governments, teachers, and the media) often regulate language. These authoritative judgments are widely accepted and become the driving force that affects the speech of ordinary people. For example,
"Language norms are often based on social class and economic systems, maintaining the operation of society."
However, academically speaking, language normativeness is often opposed to descriptiveness. Descriptive scholars observe real-life language use without evaluating it. This research method helps us gain a deeper understanding of the actual operating mode of language.
“Descriptive linguistics reflects how people actually use language, thereby recording and analyzing the evolution of language.”
This raises a deeper question in language standards: Is this process of standardization intended to improve the understandability of language, or to maintain the power of a certain social class? In some cultures, differences in social status and access to resources appear to be more pronounced the greater the distance from authoritative language.
In view of this, many social movements, such as promoting political correctness, promoting non-discriminatory language, and improving the language status of disadvantaged groups in society, hope to use language to bring about social change. Through these efforts, society's acceptance of certain previously marginalized language forms and dialects has increased.
"With the social movements in social change, the definition and superiority of standard language have also changed accordingly."
This is also an increasingly challenged view of the superiority of language. Although language norms have traditionally tended to develop in a unified and stable direction, in fact, dialects and subcultural languages derived from English, French and other languages also have their own values and aesthetics. Take African American English (AAVE) as an example. This dialect is often regarded as irregular or even inferior. However, its internal grammatical meaning and cultural symbols show its inherent social value.
"The diversity of languages shows the richness of human culture, rather than a simple distinction between good and bad."
In addition, the strategies adopted by different language normative institutions, such as the French Academy in France, the Duden Grammar in Germany, and the Royal Spanish Academy in Spain, in trying to maintain language purity, make the process of language change complicated. It's extremely complicated. These norms are often affected by political, cultural and other factors, and the judgment of their "superiority" may not be objective.
Therefore, the issue of the superiority of language is not only a topic of discussion in the field of linguistics, but also an important issue in today's society: Should certain language forms be regarded as superior? Does this mean a disparagement of other forms of language? As society progresses, how will such problems evolve?
