Prescriptivisim and Descriptivism

Prescriptivism. This is the approach to language that favours using the 'correct' traditional use of language. Prescriptivist's do not like to break these certain rules.

Descriptivism. This is the approach to the english language in the opposite way to prescriptivism. Descriptivism tend to break the traditional rules of the english language and tend to not follow the traditional structure of the english language.


Prescriptivism was first found in the 18th century. They went about their work to try and standardise the language, and they later put their work into 'books of grammar'. Their aims of this was to be able to teach young children how to learn the language in the 'correct' way through their prescriptivist theory. Their aims were to create a standardised language, to try and teach and construct a way in which society should percieve language correctly.

Prescriptivism believes that it is the technically correct, this being gramatically and linguistically. Which in contrast to descriptivism is very different.

Descriptivism is based upon the way language is actually spoken, rather than the way it is percieved.

General Coursework Commentary

For my actual piece of coursework I would prefer to submit a piece of coursework on a short story. I feel that in this piece of coursework I am more comfortable writing a short story; also in this I can express my writing skills more and I believed that it was the one of the three pieces of coursework that I understood more and excelled in. I believed it allowed me to exploit more of the linguistic methods and I could vary my writing if wanted.

Writing a commentary on a short story seems to be harder than writing a commentary than it does with the alternative choices. However I believe that if I did a commentary a few more times and used the feedback I had recieved on my other commentarys then I could improve my overall grade in my coursework.

18. Political Speeches.

Spoken text analysis

Someone who is equal to me.
Branden "sappening mate"
Me "You alright mate"
Branden "Yeah not bad, you?"
Me "Yeah im sweet, do much in half term?"
Branden "Nothing mate. Went out on halloween got pissed and fell asleep hahah, you?"
Me "You hero hahaha. Not much mate spent half the week at my mates was decent."
Branden "I wanna go home"

This conversation shows that me and Branden are both equal as neither of us are in control of the conversation. The conversation is not ran by either one of us, we both have an even amount of imput in this conversation. Branden doesnt dominate the conversation, neither do I this means me and Branden are basically equal, neither of us are above the other one as neither dominates the conversation.

Someone who has more power than me.
Dad "Want a lift to school?"
Me "Nah i'll walk"
Dad "Damn right you will, im not wasting petrol on you."
Me "oi banter mate"
Dad "I will actually pick you up at lunch though"
Me "Sweet, thank you"

The power in this conversation is shown because my Dad has dominance in this conversation. The power is shown as he dominates the conversation and decides the conversation topic. He also shows his power over me by the way he torments me and tricks me leading me to believe that he would give me a lift home, however he was joking all along and never had any intention of picking me up from school.



Someone who has less power than  me.
Year 7 "excuse me"
Me "sorry mate didnt mean to get in your way"
Year 7 "thats alright"
Me "you all alright you look a bit shaken"
Year 7 "yeah im fine"

The power in this conversation is shown as I am happy to make sure that the young year 7 was all okay. Hwever he shy's away from the conversation due to un intentional intimidation which has come purely from my power of being a sixth former has caused him to shy away from the help I was trying to give to him.

12. Interview

In this interview it is a very normal, question and answer styled interview with the MTV presenter asking the actors in the movie. After every response the presenter gets she will them comment on the response, and then finish off what she is saying by asking somebody else another question. By doing this she is squeezing information out of the actors and actresses. She is finding out information that the viewers will be wanting to know.

World War 1 Poems Phonology.

  Wilfred Owen   "Anthem for a Doomed Youth"

"No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires"

The rhytem of this poem is the rhytem of like a song or a speech. There is a rhyme pattern in this piece of text. 'Bells, Shells' the double ll sound relates them to eachother. The ll sound make a rhyme. Also in this piece of text it has choirs and shires in. the irs sound makes a rhyme.


Wilfred Owen   "Dulce et Decorum est"

"Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fit the clumsy helmets just in time;"

This piece of text is obviously being shouted at to a group of people either young children or a group of males. The connotations of "GAS! GAS!" are portraying to us signs of danger and trouble. He is instructing them to put there gas marks on, you know he is instructing them to do this because of the use of exclamation marks.
.

Connotative Advertisement

The way it says "pocket pulling power" makes the user of the product believe that they have a item in there pocket which will make them pull someone of the opposite sex. The advert makes the people who purchase the product will help them attract people. goblin