IMG_0313.jpeg

# The English Language: Standards (Chapter 4) **Author:** Simon Horobin **Source:** Horobin, Simon. 2018. The English Language: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. **Page:** 61 ## Abstract Standard English is a fixed variety, intolerant of variation, and used by all Engl...

# The English Language: Standards (Chapter 4) **Author:** Simon Horobin **Source:** Horobin, Simon. 2018. The English Language: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. **Page:** 61 ## Abstract Standard English is a fixed variety, intolerant of variation, and used by all English speakers, regardless of location. This chapter explores the origins, widespread acceptance, and current status of Standard English. It argues that Standard English emerged from 18th-century concerns about the language's codified status, prompting efforts to standardize spelling, dialects, pronunciation, and grammar. The chapter also discusses the historical context of language, focusing on concepts like dialect variation, and the idea of a universally understood standard form of language for effective communication. ## Keywords William Caxton, English, Estuary English, grammar, Samuel Johnson, received pronunciation ## Chapter Overview Chapter 2 traced the history of the English language from its inception. However, Standard English, the dominant form of English today, has been taught in schools, used by governmental and prestigious institutions, and is prominently featured in printed communication. Standard English is a rigidly defined variety used throughout the English-speaking world. While Standard English is the norm, human language naturally varies and changes. Many different dialects with diverse pronunciations, grammars, and vocabularies exist across Britain and the wider English-speaking world. Standard English simply holds a higher societal status than these other varieties. Despite this, many people mistakenly view Standard English as inherently superior, when there's no such inherent superiority in any particular language standard. It is merely an agreed-upon model for effective communication, analogous to systems in currency, weight, or other measures. The choice of Standard English as a universal tool of communication is no more significant than the arbitrary choice of any country to drive on either side of a road. The application of the term “standard” to language has roots in the present-day century and evolved from previous usages linked to classical literature.