Language, dialect, and the general public—or how not to popularize knowledge

• Published in: Language or Dialect?
• Main Author: Van Rooy, Raf
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.11.2020
• Subjects: nation-state; nineteenth century; general public; standard language ideology; conceptual cross-fertilization; laymen; language / dialect distinction; mass education; Popularization; Oakland Ebonics controversy
• ISBN: 0198845715; 9780198845713
• DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198845713.003.0023

Chapter 23 explores the modern popularization of the language / dialect distinction, gathering steam in the last decades of the nineteenth century, when the standard language ideologies of nation-states spread to nearly all classes of society, primarily through mass education. This popularization involved a sharp divide between standard language and dialect, which became widely known among the general public. In the process, the conceptual pair was excessively politicized and even politically activated, as suggested by some notorious episodes in recent history, including the Oakland Ebonics controversy. The Internet has, moreover, provided laypeople with a forum to debate the language / dialect distinction and its applications, which tend to have a strong political colour. It remains to be seen whether and how linguists and others, both laypeople and academics, have exchanged ideas on the subject. It is tentatively suggested that there indeed has been a conceptual cross-fertilization, a phenomenon requiring further investigation.