Language Change

Jean Aitchison

Damp Spoon Syndrome

• This theory suggests that language change is caused by sloppiness and laziness. It is often linked to teenagers.
• However it is difficult to find evidence to state that language change is down to laziness.
• An example of laziness is the glottal stop.

Crumbling Castle 

• Sees that the English language as a beautiful building which needs to be preserved. This view states that a rigid system is better than a flexible system.

Infectious Disease

• This theory suggests that we catch change from the people around us. 
• Social contact is a big force to cause language change.

Printing press - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/rafangel.wordpress.com/2005/04/23/meet-my-divas/amp/

Standardisation - the process of making something conform to a standard. Its a process of directing and controlling language.

Effects of the printing press:
English recieved influences from other languages such as: spanish, french, latin, and greek, hence new lexis.
The presence of the printing press caused illiteracy to become evident in Britain as not everyone understood this new written form of English.
As standardisation  needed to be conveyed for everyone to understand the language, the english language underwent a standardisation homogenization process that had a sulminant effect on spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. As well as other dialects becoming more accepted.
The influence of the increased education in order to battle the illiteracy levels, led in more new young scholars in literacy. The influence if literacy wanted to create new ways if writing, therefore new words were used bringing with them more meaning etc.

Summary:
The printing press helped spread information more easily, and introduced with it new words and ways of recording the english language. It also pointed out the high illiteratcy levels wleading to better wducation. 

Ted talk - Anne kerzon