The English language is constantly evolving, sparking debates among linguists about the necessity of these changes and the possibility of maintaining a standard form. This summary explores the challenges of preserving standard English in the face of linguistic diversity, social factors, and emerging dialects like Multicultural London English (MLE).
Descriptivists view language change as necessary and suited to our modern world, while prescriptivists argue for maintaining a standard English as the 'correct' form. The concept of a standard English as a lingua franca is challenged by various factors influencing individual language use, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and social networks.
The summary discusses attempts to enforce standard English in education, the rise of MLE, and the importance of code-switching in different linguistic situations. It also touches on the decline of Received Pronunciation (RP) and the ongoing debate between prescriptivism and descriptivism in language evolution.
