Have you heard of Saisiyat? Ancay ouyay eadray isthay? Why is Miss Muffet eating curry and chips? Do you know what a dwile is? Has granny been cotchin’ on da couch again?
To find out, follow the link:
Last year, I created a series of activities based on language change commissioned by the National Grid for Learning, Wales (NGfL Cymru) and the Welsh Joint Examination Board (WJEC). These are now available to anyone at Hwb, the Welsh Government virtual learning platform. They can be used direct from the Hwb site or downloaded.
After a broad introduction, there are four key sections:
- How can we recognise language change?
- How can we define language variation?
- What is Standard English?
- How can we describe language variation?
There are lots of examples and the interactive features so cleverly programmed by the teams at NGfl and the WJEC make this an entertaining way to start thinking about the topic. You can work on the screen or download printed copies of the material and commentaries.
The aim is to get you thinking about language change, and asking questions about the way different times, places and contexts affect language use. With luck along the way, you’ll also have some fun …
Sara Thorne English Language 