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Linguistics Seminar: Andrew Moody

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Department of Linguistics
Virtual
wifi event
Date
Feb 3, 2022   4:00 - 5:00 pm  
Contact
Helen Gent
E-Mail
hmgent2@illinois.edu
Views
16
Originating Calendar
Linguistics Event Calendar

Talk’s title: Norms and Performance: The projection of authority and authenticity within media Englishes

Abstract: 

One strength of the world Englishes description of Inner, Outer and Expanding Circles is the versatility of factors that may be used to define the three circles, and the normative character of Englishes is one central factor in defining the circles. Kachru (1985) describes the standardisation of Englishes in the Inner and Expanding Circles as endonormative and exonormative respectively, and varieties of the Outer Circle as both exonormative and endonormative. While shifting between exonormative and endonormative features has been observed across the three circles of Englishes, the factors that motive shift are largely unexamined. This paper will illustrate that English varieties used within media and popular culture exhibit variable commitment to linguistic authority and authenticity, and that these two features of media performance should be regarded as fundamental to the development of endonormative Englishes, or continued commitment to exonormative Englishes. A performance model of identity is proposed to understand how specific linguistic features project sociolinguistic authority and/or authenticity. Finally, the paper will briefly explore the application of a performance model of identity to second language teaching.

Reference

Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures (pp. 11–30). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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