Buzz
Language, being a highly visible behavior, invites scrutiny and critique. No aspect of society or social behavior is immune: linguistic factors influence perceptions of personality, intelligence, social standing, educational attainment, job suitability, and various aspects of identity and social survival. Consequently, criticism of language use can cause significant emotional harm.
Broadly speaking, prescriptivism asserts that one form of language holds intrinsic superiority over others and should be universally adopted within a speech community. This viewpoint primarily applies to grammar, vocabulary, and often pronunciation. The preferred form typically aligns with 'standard' written language, prevalent in literature and formal speech that closely mirrors literary style. Adherents of this standard claim to use language 'correctly,' while deviations are labeled 'incorrect'.
All major languages have historically undergone prescriptive scrutiny, particularly during the 18th century when grammarians endeavored to achieve three goals: a) codify language principles to reveal underlying systems amid apparent usage chaos; b) provide a framework for resolving usage disputes; and c) identify and rectify common errors to 'refine' language. This approach was authoritative, relying on grammatical 'rules' that prescribed certain usages for adherence and condemned others as incorrect. Grammarian duties extended beyond description to include judgment of linguistic practices.
These viewpoints persist and foster widespread concern for maintaining linguistic standards. However, an alternative perspective prioritizes linguistic usage facts over standards. This approach asserts that the role of grammarians is to describe rather than prescribe, to document linguistic diversity rather than attempt the futile tasks of evaluating language variations or halting language evolution. Advocates of this view emerged in the latter half of the 18th century, exemplified by Joseph Priestley in his Rudiments of English Grammar (1761), which emphasizes 'the custom of speaking as the original and sole just standard of any language.' It argues that linguistic issues defy resolution through logic and legislation, shaping modern linguistic approaches to grammatical analysis.
In contemporary discourse, the division between 'descriptivists' and 'prescriptivists' often becomes polarized, each side caricaturing the other. Descriptive grammarians are portrayed as indifferent to standards, valuing all usage forms equally. Meanwhile, prescriptive grammarians are depicted as blindly following tradition. This dichotomy is sometimes framed in quasi-political terms as radical liberalism versus elitist conservatism.
Questions 1-8
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-8 of your answer sheet, write:
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
1 There are understandable causes for debates surrounding language.
2 People exhibit stronger opinions about language education than minor linguistic differences.
3 The way someone uses language influences our evaluation of their intelligence.
4 In the 18th century, prescriptive grammar books were expensive to purchase.
5 Prescriptivism continues to be relevant in contemporary times.
6 According to descriptivists, attempting to halt language change is futile.
7 Descriptivism emerged after the 18th century.
8 Both advocates of descriptivism and prescriptivism have been misunderstood.
Questions 9-12
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-l, below
Write the correct letter A-l, in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.
A descriptivists
B language experts
C popular speech
D formal language
E evaluation
F rules
G modern linguists
H prescriptivists
I change
The debate over language
According to 9 ………….., there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to language place great importance on grammatical 10 ……………………. Conversely, the view of 11 ………….., such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 12 …………………. .
Question 13
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Enter the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.
13. What is the writer’s purpose in Reading Passage?
A to argue in favour of a particular approach to writing dictionaries and grammar books
B to present a historical account of differing views of language
C to describe the differences between spoken and written language
D to show how a certain view of language has been discredited
Answer
1. YES (Đoạn 1, “Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start ” → Có những ý kiến khác nhau về ngôn ngữ.)
2. NO (Đoạn 1, “Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education.” → 2 khía cạnh này đều gây ra luồn phản ứng tương đương nhau, chứ không bên nào mạnh hơn bên nào.)
3. YES (Đoạn 2, “linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival.” → Có thể sử dụng khả năng sử dụng ngôn ngữ làm thước đo độ thông minh của một người.)
4. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin về việc sách ngữ pháp đắt đỏ vào thể kỷ 18).
5. YES (Đoạn 4, “All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, … These attitudes are still with us…” → Vẫn còn tồn tại đến ngày nay)
6. YES (Đoạn 5, “ …it is the task of the grammarian to describe not prescribe to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks evaluating language variation or halting language change.” → Không thể ngăn ngôn ngữ thay đổi được.)
7. NO (Đoạn 5, “…his approach is summarized … In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language.” → Xuất hiện lần đầu vào thế kỷ 18, chứ không phải chỉ duy nhất ở thế kỷ 18).
8. YES (Đoạn cuối cùng, “In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme. with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other.” → Bị hiểu lầm lẫn nhau).
9. H – prescriptivists (Đoạn 3, “ln its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community.”)
10. F – rules (Đoạn 4, “All the main languages….The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterized by its reliance on ‘rules‘ of grammar.)
11. A – descriptivists
12. C – popular speech
(Section 5, “However, there exists an alternative viewpoint … Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) emphasizes that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language.)
13. B (Paragraph 1 and the final paragraph depict the content of the reading: Presenting different viewpoints on language by researchers throughout history.)IELTS Practice
