When you read an academic article, what type of approach do you take to studying it? Contrastingly, when you speak to a friend, what type of approach do you take to understanding the intentions behind their words? These questions point out the difference between two different approaches to analysing language - descriptivism and prescriptivism. Let's explore both techniques in order to distinguish between them.
Fig. 1 - Prescriptivism and descriptivism are two different approaches to language that each have their uses.
How do I define prescriptivism and descriptivism?
Linguistic descriptivism refers to the analysis of how language is used by its speakers/ writers. It is a non-judgmental approach to analysing language usage.
When taking a descriptivist approach/attitude, there is no such thing as correct or incorrect usage of language.
Descriptivism is more concerned with analysing and recording how language is used, and what this can reveal about its users. It is an approach used to analyse both Standard and Non-Standard English.
Linguists with a prescriptive attitude focus on evaluating language based on pre-established grammatical 'correctness'.
Linguists with a descriptive attitude focus on language as it is used in everyday situations.
Descriptivism vs prescriptivism: prescriptivism meaning
Linguistic prescriptivism refers to the belief that a particular form of language is superior to another and should be treated as such. It imposes rules on the usage of language, establishing the 'correctness' of certain words, phrases, grammar, and the 'incorrectness' of others.
Those who practice and promote prescriptivism are referred to as having a prescriptivist attitude or referred to simply as 'prescriptivists'. Prescriptivists focus on how they believe language should be used.
The origin of a 'correct' usage of language that is upheld by prescriptivism is often the creation of social hierarchies and determined by those in positions of power. In the United Kingdom, these institutions of power were the state and the church.
Nowadays, there is a standardisation of the English language that will determine 'correct' or 'incorrect' grammar. This language is standardised today by institutions such as the Oxford English Dictionary and the Cambridge English Dictionary, which both act as records of the English language.
In England and Wales, a linguistic prescriptivist would promote the commitment to maintaining and enforcing Standard English, which includes RP (Received Pronunciation accent) and the grammar/ vocabulary of BE (British English, otherwise known as Standard English).
What are the examples of prescriptivism and descriptivism?
In order to consolidate our understanding of prescriptivism and descriptivism a bit more, let's look at some prescriptivism and descriptivism examples:
Examples of descriptivism
Let's compare the use of two descriptivist phrases:
'If I were you' is considered to be Standard English, and therefore grammatically correct from a prescriptivist perspective.
'If I was you' is considered to be Non-Standard, and therefore grammatically incorrect from a prescriptivist perspective. However, it is frequently used by English speakers in day-to-day language.
A descriptivist would take the view that neither phrase is incorrect, as they both function in a way other English speakers can comprehend. As long as language can be understood, descriptivism argues no usage of language is wrong.
Remember: Descriptivism is concerned with real-world actualisations of language (how language is used in everyday situations).
Examples of prescriptivism
Prescriptivists would demand the use of 'It is I' rather than 'It's me', citing the grammatical incorrectness of the latter despite its frequent use.
'Fewer than' vs 'less than' is an example of where a prescriptivist might compare the grammatical rules and conventions of both phrases to see which is correct in a given situation.
Double negatives and other grammatical faux-pas are not acceptable to a prescriptivist.
Fig. 2 - Many prescriptivists believe that Standard English (or 'the Queen's English') is the superior language variety.
Comparing prescriptivism and descriptivism
Descriptivism and Prescriptivism are antithetical (opposite) approaches to language. While linguists with a prescriptive attitude focus on the pre-established grammar structures in whatever they analyse, linguists with a descriptive attitude focus on analysing language as it arises in everyday situations, and as it evolves over time.
Prescriptivism is typically used in fields such as education and publishing, where standard practice is maintained. Descriptivism is typically used by academic linguistics who analyse different forms of language usage.
The way prescriptivism and descriptivism are distinguished is that descriptivism studies what language looks like while prescriptivism studies what language should look like. Modern linguists tend to hold a descriptivist attitude over a prescriptivist attitude, focusing more on analysis and observation than on enforcing the 'proper' use of language and correcting non-standard examples of language.
Modern dictionaries typically have a blend of these approaches. Think of how modern dictionaries are constantly updating to account for how language changes over time. This is a descriptivist attitude that observes human vocabulary and its constant evolution. However, modern dictionaries are also designed to act as a language 'rulebook', which is a vital part of prescriptivism. Dictionaries are a vital aid to prescriptivism as they provide the tool to enforce the standard use of language.
Descriptivism vs Prescriptivism
Prescriptivism | Descriptivism |
Concerned with establishing a correct/ incorrect usage of language and with following the rules created based on the socially correct usage of language. | Concerned with analysing the ways in which we use language in the real world / daily life. |
Monitors and evaluates adherence to language 'rules' or standardized norms. | Non-judgmental approach. |
Most frequently applied in education, publishing, and 'professional' environments. | Most frequently used by academic linguistics. |
Only focuses on enforcing the standard form of language. | Studies standard and non-standard forms of language. |
Benefits of descriptivism
Descriptivism has particular benefits that make it the preferred linguistic approach:
The descriptivist approach to observing language has helped destigmatise certain non-standard forms of speech and writing.
In terms of non-standard speech varieties like vernacular English, descriptivism provides an analysis of language that is not hierarchical or critical in nature, as prescriptivism tends to be.
It looks at socially-stigmatised groups and how they use language in an analytical and non-judgmental way and can help to bridge the gap between different social groups who may view certain language forms as incorrect.
The descriptivist approach aims to offer a more accurate reflection of language usage than the prescriptivist approach. This is because it focuses on studying language used in daily life.
The descriptivist approach accounts for the ways language will evolve in different communities.
Fig. 3 - Descriptivism allows for the preservation of cultural heritage in different communities.
Benefits of prescriptivism
Although many would argue that prescriptivism is becoming more archaic, there are still some benefits to this approach:
Takes into account standard forms.
Prescriptivism can be seen as a necessary feature of education, publishing and other fields that require standard English.
Can be useful for education in particular, as students need to be taught the same curriculum across the country.
Useful for those learning a language for the first time.
Those hoping to learn a language like English can benefit from understanding both how language is used in daily life (descriptive approach) and how language should be appropriately used depending on the situation (prescriptivist approach).
Descriptivism vs Prescriptivism - Key takeaways
Linguistic prescriptivism refers to the belief that a particular form of language is superior to another and should be treated as such. It evaluates language based on standard rules and emphasises the 'correctness' of certain words, phrases, grammar and the 'incorrectness' of others.
Linguistic descriptivism refers to the analysis of how language is used by its speakers/ writers. It is a non-judgmental approach to analysing language usage.
The difference between descriptivism and prescriptivism is that descriptivism analyses both Standard and Non-Standard English while prescriptivism only recognizes standard English as correct.
Prescriptivism is typically used in fields such as education and publishing, where standard practice is maintained across the country.
Descriptivism is typically used by academic linguistics who analyse different forms of language usage. As descriptivism focuses on studying language used in daily life, it can be a more accurate reflection of language usage across the world.
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