Linguistic scholar Scott Shay in his The History of English presents the theory that “Indo-European” is a “mother-language” of sorts from which many languages emerged. These developing languages include Sanskrit, Hindi, Latin, Greek, Farsi, German, French, Spanish, Russian, and English, to name a few. Scott explains, “Language changes over time. Eventually, certain words, phrases, or pronunciations sound “old fashioned” to you; new words (often related to technology or popular culture today) are created all the time” (Chapter: Indo-European). Along these lines, in class Dr. Lewis discussed how old forms of languages were the “norm” in their own time. For example, the old English text Beowulf was the modern language of its time, and although this text was written in "English," the language has changed so much since then that even we English speakers cannot read it today.
So what does this evolution of language mean for us, especially as English language teachers?
Essentially, there are no right and wrong ways of speaking; there are just different ways of speaking. This can be seen through the evolution of language over the centuries, as well as through the different dialects each language has in practice today.
The language evolution reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s explanation of the development of Italian in her infamous memoir, Eat Pray Love. Gilbert explains how there were many, many different dialects in Italy, so different in variation that people from the same country could not communicate with each other. It was decided that the “loveliest” words would be picked from the various languages in order to produce one language to connect all citizens of the country, and this language became the official "Italian" we know today. However, this picking and choosing that transpired does not imply a "correct" format of speaking. How could speaking one way be deemed "correct" when these words were subjectively chosen to represent the nation’s language? The purpose of developing this Italian as we know it today was to provide a better means of communication. Similarly, academic English has been adapted as the “common” or “well-known” dialect through which individuals around the world can speak. It doesn’t mean that academic language is better than Ebonics, or a southern dialect; but if one wishes to communicate with people outside of the immediate community, academic English is a necessary resource, just as the all-encompassing Italian language is in Italy.
Furthermore, language is constantly changing. How likely is it that academic English today will be the same language in the future? Shay argues in The History of English that “Just as English has changed greatly in the past, the language will continue to change in the future” (Chapter: The Future of English: Literature). He particularly predicts a radical spelling reform in the future as a result of English’s current spelling trends that hardly make sense anymore. He equates learning English as difficult as learning Chinese characters because “one must memorize the spelling for any given word since there is not a true one-to-one correspondence between a letter and its pronunciation" (Chapter: The Future of English: Literature). For example, it’s difficult for English learners to understand how “gh” plays a role in the word “laugh” or why in the word "nation," the “ti” acquires a “sha” sound. Shay predicts that English may one day come to have one symbol per phonetic sound in the language, increasing our alphabet to 33 symbols. Furthermore, he predicts other changes, such as the common inclination to pronounce “th” as “d” such as in “this/dis,” and that this trend will likely win out. For this reason, honoring native languages/dialects in the classroom is crucial. All of the dialects and various language constructions contribute to the ongoing development and change of language over time, so it would be a disservice to students to invalidate their home language, which plays such a key role in language formation, as well as identity formation.
Until the 11th century CE, our language system was largely from Germanic origin. However, Scott calls attention to the influence of the Norman conquest and its fundamental impact on our language. French speaking Normans conquered England. As a result, “grammatical changes which had already begun prior to this event seemed to speed up, and a large number of French words were added to the vocabulary” (Shay, 2008, Old English: History). Scott notes that Normans became the feudal rulers of England, and so business was done in their own language. Indeed, in the quote above, he notes that most of the “big” words such as “grammatical, changes, conquest, large, and vocabulary” were from Latin and French, while the base of the language (words such as “a,” “as,” “the,” “and”) remained Anglo-Saxon. What seems to have happened is that the ruling class, who spoke French, mixed with the English-speaking commoners over time, and English prevailed.
So what does this evolution of language mean for us, especially as English language teachers?
Essentially, there are no right and wrong ways of speaking; there are just different ways of speaking. This can be seen through the evolution of language over the centuries, as well as through the different dialects each language has in practice today.
The language evolution reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s explanation of the development of Italian in her infamous memoir, Eat Pray Love. Gilbert explains how there were many, many different dialects in Italy, so different in variation that people from the same country could not communicate with each other. It was decided that the “loveliest” words would be picked from the various languages in order to produce one language to connect all citizens of the country, and this language became the official "Italian" we know today. However, this picking and choosing that transpired does not imply a "correct" format of speaking. How could speaking one way be deemed "correct" when these words were subjectively chosen to represent the nation’s language? The purpose of developing this Italian as we know it today was to provide a better means of communication. Similarly, academic English has been adapted as the “common” or “well-known” dialect through which individuals around the world can speak. It doesn’t mean that academic language is better than Ebonics, or a southern dialect; but if one wishes to communicate with people outside of the immediate community, academic English is a necessary resource, just as the all-encompassing Italian language is in Italy.
Furthermore, language is constantly changing. How likely is it that academic English today will be the same language in the future? Shay argues in The History of English that “Just as English has changed greatly in the past, the language will continue to change in the future” (Chapter: The Future of English: Literature). He particularly predicts a radical spelling reform in the future as a result of English’s current spelling trends that hardly make sense anymore. He equates learning English as difficult as learning Chinese characters because “one must memorize the spelling for any given word since there is not a true one-to-one correspondence between a letter and its pronunciation" (Chapter: The Future of English: Literature). For example, it’s difficult for English learners to understand how “gh” plays a role in the word “laugh” or why in the word "nation," the “ti” acquires a “sha” sound. Shay predicts that English may one day come to have one symbol per phonetic sound in the language, increasing our alphabet to 33 symbols. Furthermore, he predicts other changes, such as the common inclination to pronounce “th” as “d” such as in “this/dis,” and that this trend will likely win out. For this reason, honoring native languages/dialects in the classroom is crucial. All of the dialects and various language constructions contribute to the ongoing development and change of language over time, so it would be a disservice to students to invalidate their home language, which plays such a key role in language formation, as well as identity formation.
Until the 11th century CE, our language system was largely from Germanic origin. However, Scott calls attention to the influence of the Norman conquest and its fundamental impact on our language. French speaking Normans conquered England. As a result, “grammatical changes which had already begun prior to this event seemed to speed up, and a large number of French words were added to the vocabulary” (Shay, 2008, Old English: History). Scott notes that Normans became the feudal rulers of England, and so business was done in their own language. Indeed, in the quote above, he notes that most of the “big” words such as “grammatical, changes, conquest, large, and vocabulary” were from Latin and French, while the base of the language (words such as “a,” “as,” “the,” “and”) remained Anglo-Saxon. What seems to have happened is that the ruling class, who spoke French, mixed with the English-speaking commoners over time, and English prevailed.
Resource!
British Library English Language & Literature Timeline
The following resource from the British Library allows visitors to explore the evolution of language and literature via an interactive timeline, including images of original texts themselves; perfect for the ELA classroom!
From the British Library: The timeline includes a fascinating combination of texts: Anglo Saxon tales and medieval illuminations; iconic literary manuscripts and printed texts; as well as letters, newspapers, handbills, posters, charters, speeches and campaign leaflets.
The following resource from the British Library allows visitors to explore the evolution of language and literature via an interactive timeline, including images of original texts themselves; perfect for the ELA classroom!
From the British Library: The timeline includes a fascinating combination of texts: Anglo Saxon tales and medieval illuminations; iconic literary manuscripts and printed texts; as well as letters, newspapers, handbills, posters, charters, speeches and campaign leaflets.
What does this mean for our students?
If many of our “big idea” words, or the mortar, if you will, stem from languages such as French, perhaps this implies that studying foreign languages will help our nations’ students speak English better. This may be a paradox, but I would argue that bilingualism helps speakers better understand patterns, make inferences, and make predictions when it comes to language. I personally began learning French in college, and after achieving a foundation in the language, I began to hear many English words that I only understood from having the French background. For example, the first time I heard the word "visage" in English, I couldn't believe that it was an actual English term taken directly from the French language. I also understood grammar constructions (and remembered them) much better from studying a foreign language than just learning grammar in my English classes.
If many of our “big idea” words, or the mortar, if you will, stem from languages such as French, perhaps this implies that studying foreign languages will help our nations’ students speak English better. This may be a paradox, but I would argue that bilingualism helps speakers better understand patterns, make inferences, and make predictions when it comes to language. I personally began learning French in college, and after achieving a foundation in the language, I began to hear many English words that I only understood from having the French background. For example, the first time I heard the word "visage" in English, I couldn't believe that it was an actual English term taken directly from the French language. I also understood grammar constructions (and remembered them) much better from studying a foreign language than just learning grammar in my English classes.
How do I Validate Native Language/Dialects in the Classroom?
The first step is to establish respect. Dr. Lewis mentioned a fundamental beginning step to every school year: developing relationships with your students. An appropriate opening activity would be to conduct a first language writing prompt on “What is respect?” From this discussion, Lewis argues that a mutual understanding will likely emerge between you and your students, conveying the notion, “Respect me because I am human.”
From there, incorporating the history of language into the curriculum can be a great way to start. Showing students how language varies over the years can be a strong way to have them assess whether there is a “right” or “wrong” way of speaking. For instance, they might come to the conclusion that speaking in an “old-fashioned” way might be “wrong” (i.e. no one writes in Old English these days), but there shouldn’t be a distinction between modern dialects that are in use in the present day. In other words, language can go out of date, but there is no true “prescriptive” method of speaking and writing. Instead, there is context. Teachers can also provide examples of the various dialects found in the English language for students to evaluate. Although one particular dialect may not be “right,” students can find that there are still rules that apply to the various dialects. |
Teachers may also consider providing language contexts for grouping activities in the classroom. For instance, teachers might prompt students to speak in their native dialects while working in a group activity. This could go as far as grouping students with peers who share their own native language (particularly for foreign-language native speakers), or even grouping students together from different dialects. The latter allows students to gain exposure to dialects that aren’t explicitly taught in the school system. I find this activity beneficial as a means to promote acceptance, much as we would want to do with accepting and promoting cultural differences in the classroom. Such an activity can be important for perspective-building and empathy skills, which researchers Wiggins and McTighe in Understanding by Design value as highly important in the classroom. Furthermore, teachers can help English language learners by identifying particular difficulties these students might encounter in speaking and reading academic English. Going back to the “laugh” example above, teachers may take a moment to point out such an arbitrary pronunciation to students. Simply calling attention to such a phenomenon can help students’ recall when they come across the word in the future. Professional development in the arena of language differences can have a profound impact in assisting students with English acquisition. |
Latin & Greek Roots
A large component of literacy is based on being able to make predictions. As a result, it is crucial for students to build vocabulary skills to help make
inferences regarding new words they encounter—something they will have to do across the lifespan.
According to Holmes & Keffer (1995), between 60%-80% of English words are derived from Latin, and overall, 75% of words can be attributed to Latin/Greek derivations. Their article highlights the benefit of students studying Latin/Greek words: one Latin term can provide sufficient information to enable one to decode many English terms. For example, the student who knows the Latin word aqua to mean water can better interpret the following English words: aquarium, aqueduct, aquatic, aquamarine, Aquarius, and aquaeous. In class, Dr. Lewis stressed that Anglo-Saxon words are most typically taught in elementary school, but that Greek/Latin root words are most common in middle and high school. Along these lines, Holmes & Keffer claim that by sixth grade, 65% of the words listed in vocabulary tests contain a Latin root or prefix.
As teachers, it's necessary to familiarize students with Latin roots. The following resource presents some great ideas to get students interested in Latin words by using the popular book series Harry Potter. Another idea for an exercise is to have students make up new words, presumably for their own "language," by using Latin roots as a basis of invention. Teachers can use examples from the text, such as J.K. Rowling's invention "Portkey" as an example, deriving from the Latin Porto, meaning "to carry."
According to Holmes & Keffer (1995), between 60%-80% of English words are derived from Latin, and overall, 75% of words can be attributed to Latin/Greek derivations. Their article highlights the benefit of students studying Latin/Greek words: one Latin term can provide sufficient information to enable one to decode many English terms. For example, the student who knows the Latin word aqua to mean water can better interpret the following English words: aquarium, aqueduct, aquatic, aquamarine, Aquarius, and aquaeous. In class, Dr. Lewis stressed that Anglo-Saxon words are most typically taught in elementary school, but that Greek/Latin root words are most common in middle and high school. Along these lines, Holmes & Keffer claim that by sixth grade, 65% of the words listed in vocabulary tests contain a Latin root or prefix.
As teachers, it's necessary to familiarize students with Latin roots. The following resource presents some great ideas to get students interested in Latin words by using the popular book series Harry Potter. Another idea for an exercise is to have students make up new words, presumably for their own "language," by using Latin roots as a basis of invention. Teachers can use examples from the text, such as J.K. Rowling's invention "Portkey" as an example, deriving from the Latin Porto, meaning "to carry."
Resource!
Harry Potter: Latin Revived.pdf | |
File Size: | 105 kb |
File Type: |