-
Essay / How Language Change Begins and Spreads - 947
Linguistic change happens every day. New words are constantly added and new dialects are formed. People have always debated the causes of linguistic change and tried to control the changes that occurred, but in the end, they accomplished nothing. Languages change and spread thanks to the people who use them every day. African American English and Californian English are both examples of the different ways language can change. People try to resist changes in their language because they don't want to see it change. Language change is a natural process that can be affected by others but never stops. This course did an excellent job of explaining how language change begins and spreads. Language change can be caused by many factors, including political and social changes. As societies evolve, the pre-existing language is often replaced by a newer, more popular language. Language change also happens over time. Different people in a society use their language in ways that vary depending on their age, gender, race, and socioeconomic class. When linguistic change is the result of major political and social changes, it can happen very quickly. Many examples studied in this course demonstrate that languages have become obsolete because of new political parties. Adult speakers are no longer allowed to speak publicly in their native language and young speakers are learning a new language. If a language doesn't have new speakers using it, it will disappear along with the old silent ones. Subtle linguistic changes that occur over time often go unnoticed until they become more common. As this class has shown, people in the same region can vary greatly in how they use their native language. Generational differences appear in language middle of paper......the fight against change will be a losing one. As the world continues to grow, so do the languages that exist in it. Some languages may disappear while new ones are formed, but linguistic changes will always occur. Language change is the result of the interactions of those who speak it with speakers of other languages. African American English is an example of how different languages can come together to create a creole. Hollywood is an example of how languages can spread new words into other dialects. All change is met with resistance and language is no different. People are afraid of change and don't want to see the perfect version of their language destroyed. No matter how much people oppose language change, it will continue to happen. Language change is a natural process that cannot be stopped. It can be changed and changed, but no one can stop the natural evolution of languages..