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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373447441 Language & Age Article · July 2023 CITATIONS READS 0 3,855 1 author: Hamza Alijagic International BURCH University 3 PUBLICATIONS 1 CITATION SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Hamza Alijagic on 28 August 2023. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Language & Age Hamza Alijagic Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures Department of English Language and Literature Marburg, 18.07.2023 Abstract The focus of this paper is on the differences in language between older and younger generations through examples of English and Bosnian. Every language in the world is dynamic and alive and as such is passed down from generation to generation with small or large changes. Analyzing factors such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and speaking style, many studies have confirmed how each language goes through various transformations under the influence of newer generations. There is also great emphasis and attention to the concept of language acquisition, emphasizing the importance of early language acquisition, the role of parents, and the environment in which the child is in shaping the language development of the child. The paper further emphasizes the influence of social networks, various media, and the environment in general on language acquisition and explores the differences between different life stages, including adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The findings show that language evolves as newer generations introduce modifications that lead to simplification and enrichment of the language, but also possibly damage to the language. Keywords: Language evolution, generational differences, language acquisition, linguistic transformations, sociolinguistic dynamics Introduction Language lives side by side with people. Without language there are no people, but also without people, there is no language. Since the first people in civilization, there has been some form of communication, that is language. Maybe it wasn't a language as we know it today or something similar to one of today's languages, but it was used for understanding, communication, and achieving some goals in life. Language changes so quickly and every day becomes richer, bigger, wider, and newer than the previous day. When we read the information that the first people lived on the planet Earth approximately 2.4 billion years ago to today, it is a huge difference, and each of us can testify that our mother tongue certainly changes from just one generation (grandparents) to a new generation that is us. This topic is very important because such topics and those which deal with these things help in the research of the history of languages, in the research of current languages in the world, and thus will be a step ahead in the future when it comes to any kind of communication between people. Every language in the world has a specific group of people who speak it, but also share it with other groups of people. Language becomes the culture and tradition of a nation that is passed down from generation to generation. “Language is a tradition; otherwise we would not understand one another. It must be handed down from one generation to the next in a way that allows members of coexisting generations to communicate, but it is not handed down unaltered. For each generation recreates the language of its predecessors” (Coulmas, 2013, p. 61). During the transmission of the language and the arrival of newer generations, small or large changes occur that can completely or partially change the language. We know that every language can be divided into dialects and accents (so today we have the English language which has several different accents and dialects), so for example people from Australia will have a little difficulty understanding people living in Ireland or Scotland. Some specificities of the language, such as different pronunciation, accents, or a different choice of words for some things are special for each generation individually, while the next generation will slowly start to forget the "old customs". Holmes (2008) stated in her view the features of people’s speech which vary at different ages. I will take the example of my native language "Bosnian language" where there are many expressions and phrases that my grandfather and grandmother know, but I have not heard of them or do not use in my daily speech. My sister, who is only 11 years younger than me, today uses some new phrases and words that I do not know, and those phrases and words will become or we can say have already become a new part of the vocabulary of the Bosnian language. The aim and purpose of this paper will be to study and explore the differences in the languages (English language and Bosnian language) of older generations and younger generations. I will also touch on children's language acquisition because I think that language learning from the very beginning is crucial. After all, it is the parents who will determine whether the children acquire the "old" language or the language of the new generation. How and why does it happen that newer generations often go towards "destroying" the language by adding or subtracting letters, syllables, or words, and is this destroying the language or enriching it? Age Cohorts When we speak in general, one of the first things we notice when it comes to the differences in language between the older generations and the younger ones is the "simplification" of the language and the shortening of words, phrases, or even changing words so that for the same thing, for example "greed" in the past was "cupidity", so a completely different word. But it doesn't have to be a rule that if someone is older, that is, if the person is older, it doesn't have to mean that they won't use the vocabulary of the newer generation. However, much less is known and researched about language use in older people, so it is difficult to obtain such information. "More is known about the language used at some life stages than at others. There has been more research on the language of childhood and adolescence than on the language of the middle years – an unfortunate state of affairs given the middle-aged bias that exists in work on age and generation-specific use of language (and, indeed, in social science research generally" (Eckert, 1997). For many scientists and researchers, it is more interesting to follow children from the very beginning until a certain stage when they are already formed when it comes to language, that's why today we have a lot of research on the topic "Language Acquisition". Even when it comes to acquiring a second language at any stage of life, we also have a lot of work on that topic. On the one hand, it's interesting to follow and analyze all the events in the children's brains during the learning of the first language or the second language in children or adults. While on the other hand, we have here a whole, I would say unexplored field, where the progress or regression in language knowledge in adults or older people would be monitored, and how new generations influence their knowledge or vice versa. “It cannot be assumed either, that older speakers are not influenced by the speech of younger members of the community, and vice-versa” (Chesire, 2006). So, as we have already stated, it is quite normal for the newer generations to influence the older ones in all areas of life, including language. Age is a big factor when it comes to language differences between generations. In addition to age, several factors contribute to this. These are gender, culture, region, country, position in society, and so on. Also, as I already mentioned, the differences are reflected in the pronunciation of words and the use of different vocabulary, but in addition, there are differences when it comes to pitch, pronunciation, grammar, and speaking style. "It is viewed that when people belong to the same chronological age group, they often speak similarly. As there are many different age groups in a community, an individual may use different linguistic features with a range of other speakers" (Abdullah, Safrudin & Aishah, 2018). We can call such age groups "Age Cohorts" or "Age markers", that is something that every civilization has, and they are important because of social roles, social rights, expectations, obligations, etc. In general, we have three stages in life, for example, the first is communion, the second is graduation, and the third is retirement. And according to chronological years, life is divided into 4 periods: first infancy, second adolescence, then adulthood, and then old age. Each of these periods in life has a special style of language and they all use language in their characteristic way. According to Holmes (1992), adolescence is when the usage of a language feature peaks if the linguistic feature is different from what is being used in the community's standard language. This is because adolescence is a time when the peer pressure to not act like the norm is the greatest (Holmes, 1992). Research has shown that people of different groups use language in different ways. Through this example, we can see that the period of adolescence is different from the others because in that period individuals try not to be like their environment. Very interesting research was done with two groups of students. One group was 19 years old, and the other group was just a little older, about 25 years old. Through questions about football, they paid attention to grammatical errors, repetition, fillers, and vocabulary choices. Research has shown that the younger group of students has a lot more grammatical mistakes than the older group of respondents. Younger students also had more fillers. What is interesting about repetition is that younger respondents repeated entire phrases several times, while older respondents repeated words several times. Language Acquisition Language acquisition in children is a very interesting and mysterious field that many scientists and researchers are trying to figure out and explain in the best possible way. "Age differentiation of speech begins at the very beginning" (Coulmas, 2013, p. 65). Language learning first starts with the parents, who, if they come from different backgrounds, cultures, or customs, will start creating language differences for the child right from the start. Then there is the influence of social networks and any form of media through which a child learns some new words or changes already learned words and phrases. "Not only do they distinguish the voice of their mothers from those of other speakers, they also seem to recognize the language that was spoken around their mother before they were born" (Patsy & Spada, 1995). From the very beginning, children are like sponges and they remember everything, listen to everything, and imitate, and because of that they very easily acquire the language and everything that comes with it. Unlike adults, infancy is characterized by a specific and simple register of words, short and simple grammatical constructions and slow articulation. I would like to mention that when it comes to the Bosnian language spoken in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I say this because every inhabitant of Bosnia and Herzegovina perfectly understands the inhabitants of the neighboring countries of Croatia and Serbia where Croatian and Serbian are spoken. In essence, it is one language with three different dialects and with a slight difference in vocabulary (the word bread is "hljeb" in Bosnian and "kruh" in Croatian). It happens that children who were born and live in Bosnia and Herzegovina learn and use Croatian expressions instead of Bosnian ones through cartoons that are mostly dubbed into the Croatian language, which many people do not like. Due to bad relations in the past in the Balkans, they started inventing various divisions, including language divisions, which are confusing to small children. Adolescence Scientists and researchers have paid the most attention to the adolescent age because, as they say, it is the age when language differs from children on the one hand, and from the elderly on the other hand (Widdicombe and Wooffitt 1995). As they have already learned a solid font of the word and speak almost without interruption, however, by adding some things that do not make sense or by shortening the word, the phrase "spoils" the language. "They often choose their words in ways that deviate from adult usage. By doing so the young demonstrate that the language they received from their seniors is theirs and that they use it as they see fit" (Coulmas, 2013, p. 68). We can find such things in schools where children are surrounded by their peers every day and where there is certainly a mix of different cultures, dialects, accents and levels of language knowledge. One interesting case in Japan was when a group of girls "founded" a closed-class group and invented their language. In addition to the new language, there were rules regarding dress, behavior and colors. If you don't speak the same language as those girls (probably some specific expressions), if you don't apply their vocabulary to your language register, then you don't belong in their group. Whether their behavior can be characterized as leading the language to ruin or enriching it, I cannot say. But what is certain is that because of generations like that, which are newer and newer, the language becomes shorter and simpler. Instead of sentences, simple phrases are used, instead of phrases (I love you), letters and sometimes numbers are used ("Ly, Ly2"). The use of "stickers" and "emoji" has also gained momentum among the younger generations, which surely leads to great illiteracy and the inability to properly express themselves. Adulthood & Old Age Periods of life that were not such a frequent topic among researchers, in contrast to childhood. Probably because in these periods of life, language is used according to a template that is firmly established in people's minds. What adults talk about is usually a picture and an example for the younger generation to do the same. "Adult language is the norm, as it were the unmarked choice for all age groups" (Coulmas, 2013, p. 61). Any deviation from that set norm will be considered "silly", that is, if adults descend to a childlike level when it comes to using language, it will be somehow bad, while on the other hand, if children use language like adults, it will be for every praise. Language in old age becomes as simple as in childhood. Older people tend to use as simple words as possible, short phrases, and often due to some diseases that are "normal" for that period, they lose the ability to speak fluently and correctly. "Older adults do not appear to adopt different speech registers for different partners" (Kemper, 1995). They firmly "hold on" to what they have learned throughout their lives and are very unlikely to somehow "modernize" their way of speaking or their use of language in general. They stick to the traditions and words of their time. I don't need to look any further than my family where the grandparents, even though they live in 2023, still use old Bosnian words that I also have a hard time understanding even though I belong to that new generation. Conclusion This paper investigates and writes about the differences in language between older and younger generations. Language, like everything else on planet Earth, is dynamic and alive, subject to constant changes and transformations. In particular, language is subject to change, given that it is passed down from generation to generation, and in that "transfer" minor or major changes occur. Various factors contribute to the differences we find in language, such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and speaking style. Language acquisition plays a key role in shaping the language development of each individual, where parents and the environment play a huge role in early language learning. We must also not forget the enormous influence of social networks, and the environment, which play a big role in language acquisition, which later leads to differences in the use of language in different life stages, including adolescence, adulthood and old age. What can be concluded through much research and what I tried to summarize here is that newer generations introduce modifications that often simplify and enrich the language. However, there is also the possibility of "damaging" the language by adding or subtracting some letters, words, or phrases that are not an integral part of the language. The impact of generational differences on language is complex and multiple, influenced by factors such as culture, region, gender and social position. Given that the focus of researchers is mainly on language acquisition in children, many of them have provided excellent insight into how language is learned and adapted from an early age and later developed through other life stages. The focus of the research was the linguistic characteristics and behavior of adolescents, emphasizing the tendency to deviate from the language used by adults and establish their linguistic identity within peer groups. On the other hand, adults tend to adhere to language norms, serving as role models for younger generations. In old age, the language becomes simple again and somewhat resembles the speech from childhood. Older people are not prone to language changes and often retain traditional language patterns and vocabulary from their time. We do not rule out the possibility of the influence of the environment and the media on changing their way of using language, but the chances are very small. Also, what is more, expected to affect their speech are factors related to their state of health. Understanding differences in language between generations is very important for the study of language history, current language dynamics, and effective communication between individuals. It also uses I for further scientific research and contributes to the development of sociolinguistics. The study of these differences in language gives a very important insight into the dynamic nature of language, all its transformations, and the influence of social and cultural factors for a better understanding of complex human communication and linguistic diversity. References: Coulmas, F. (2013). 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