Language Awareness

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4-6

Language Awareness

Content

• What is a language?
• The origin of English
• Slang, Accents, Dialects
• Conclusion 

What is a language?

Language 

'a system of communication used by a particular country or a community’ (Lexico.com, 2021)

Language awareness

is knowing how to learn and use these systems of communication effectively, so that they do what you want them to do, and purposefully, so that they help you reach your goals. 

Compare languages

Look at the English words in the first column. 

Compare those to the translations in other languages.

Mark the ones that are similar.

Can you guess why these are similar?

Slang

'a type of language that is typically thought of as informal and more used in speech than in writing'

Lexico.com (2021).

Accent

'a distinctive way of pronouncing a language', especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class.

Lexico.com (2021).

Dialect

'A particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group'.

Lexico.com (2021).

Standard language 

'The official language of a country'.

Lexico.com (2021).

Language status

The relative position of a language in relation to other languages

Language status

tells you something about the value people attach to a (certain form of) a language. It often ties in with how they, consciously or subconsciously, judge and rank other people. 

'A language is a dialect with an army and a navy'

Max Weinreich (1894 -1969)

Study British Accents

Watch the videos (in document on language in Classroom) about different accents.

Make a note of which accent:

• is the most difficult to understand?
• is the easiest to understand?
• you would like to study or use yourself?

Would you expect a difference in status between these accents? Which would be high or low in status? And why?

Please fill out the 

Exit ticket in Classroom