LING 200 Study Guide - Final Guide: African American Vernacular English, Paul Grice, Helios
Document Summary
What are the official language(s): united states has no official language, il has the official language of english. Describe the difference between prescriptive and descriptive grammar: prescriptive grammar: the way people thing/say we should speak, rules: don"t split infinitives, ex. Identify prescriptive rule on exam you should say it this way: descriptive grammar: the way people actually speak it is said this way. White men spoken from upper/middle class: covert prestige: social power within a particular social group, martha"s vineyard: locals begin speaking more as locals to identify as locals. Shows belonging to a group: african american english, spanglish (shows identity as a bilingual) Ex: time, color, direction can influence the way we perceive things. If there is an effect, it is very small: linguistic determinism: the language you speak controls the way you perceive the world. There is not good evidence; way too much counter-evidence.
