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On the opposite sides of the continuum: Standard British English and Cockney. A Historical Outline of the Parallel Developments of the Two Varieties
Abstract
Standard (British) English and Cockney are the varieties of English placed on the opposite ends of the linguistic continuum in the London area. The present article aims at drawing an outline of their almost parallel histories and developments. As far as Cockney is concerned, a description of its image in literature through time and of the origin and main features of its rhyming slang are also provided.
The article is aimed at reconstructing the selected problems of English language adaptation in Japanese society. The author is convinced that there is a whole range of phenomena and paradoxes in Japan that fit perfectly the dilemma of cultural and national controversies around the English as a global language and around the concept of cultural imperialism. The main tension is connected with the fact that such societies as Japan want to keep their own mono-ethnicity and it is obvious that one of the most important components of it is native language treated as a form of embodiment of Japanese values and traditions. So, English is a threat to monolith of Japanese nation. On the other hand Japanese are aware that English helps their nation to rise the chance in global competition in global markets as well as it connects Japan to the world culture.
The aim of the article is to describe – on the example of teaching English – the reductionistic character of the testing phenomenon. Global international tests (TOEFL and TOEIC) provide excellent arguments to critics of the phenomenon of “testology”, related to reducing the school’s identity and student identity to results of test. An excellent example of this phenomenon is Japanese society. In Japan, where English is considered the cultural and professional capital of individuals, the paradoxes (and absurdities) of testing find their best exemplification. At the same time, the fact that English is completely different from Japanese results in contextualizing language tests in different, sometimes unexpected, cultural aspects of life. In addition, the controversy surrounding the testing of the English language proficiency in Japan is related to the discussion about cultural imperialism. All these issues will be analysed in the article, not only in the Japanese context but also in relation to whole “testing culture”.
The monograph investigates the phonological and morphological processes that contribute to the emergence of lexical doublets in the history of the English language.
African urban youth language (AUYL) syndrome is a sociolinguistic phenomenon. Its most distinguishing symptom is the investment of African youths in a stigmatized variety to the exclusion of more prestigious languages. AUYLs have long stumped educators, policy makers and teachers of standard languages, spawning cursory descriptions, numerous complaints, and pleas for eradication. A case study of the symptoms associated with the stigmatized code Sheng (Nairobi, Kenya), reveals generalities for other AUYLs. Detractors worry that embracing the variety will damn the youth to failure in examinations, to denial of further educational attainment, to the loss of life-long goals, such as social mobility, and perhaps even to criminality. This article examines the concept of the culture-bound syndrome—a collection of social symptoms that reflect cultural fears—and the manner in which it may be applied to Sheng and other AUYLs. An interdisciplinary exploration of colonial history, language ecosystem, language ideology and conventional wisdom provide a rationale for a sociolinguistic defense. The data disclose that the symptoms reveal more about the plaintiff than the defendant. Overcoming what is but a standard language ideological bias requires Africanists in all academic disciplines to legitimize AUYLs through continued research.
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