Summary

Furdui Valeria

Gramsci considers that „every time the question of the language surfaces, a series of other
problems are coming to the fore”.

In the article „Proper English: Language, Culture and Curriculum”, two basic points are: The
language is constantly changing and language simultaneously reflects and encoudes social and cultural
patterns. Words can be chosen which openly reveal shifts in the cultural order or they may be chosen
as “efficiency gain” or “community charge” in order to conceal those same changes. Words always
move into semantic spaces left vacant or created by shifts in ideology and cultural practicies.

The language of a curriculum reflects the language of the dominant culture in a society whose
discourses are impregnated with the semantics of the monetarist economics. The debates about the
place of the English language in the National Curriculum has been a fascinating and somewhat
enervating exercise. Linguists focus on determining what relationship language has with power and
what should be called “Proper English”.

In one of the speeches, Prince Charles stated that a fundamental problem is that nobody speaks
proper English, and that`s because English is taught so bloody badly. Two especially key words used
by Prince Charles in his speech are drill and proper. The first term is especially revealing in that it
derives from a militaristic context, the second has a common connection with the word “English” in
the sense that it underlines how views of English teaching is encoding in terms of social property.

One of the articles from the book “Proper English” by Tony Crowley is “A proposal for
Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Tongue” by Jonathan Swift. The essay argues for
an ascertaining or standardisation of the English language which is being corrupted by the perpetual
change to which it is subject. Swift affirms that the words “standards”, “correct”, and “proper” are
keywords in relation to English. Another idea in this essay is that English is synonymous with
Englishness- the understanding of what does proper English mean. So, English is a mark of purity and
cleanliness, while non- standard English is unclean.

Hypercorrection is the tendency to overcorrect low- prestige vowel with high- prestige vowels.
Advertisers are linguistically sensitive to this phenomena.

In the statement made in 1987 by the then Secretary of State of Education, Kenneth Baker,
illustrates the idea that a national curriculum is a way of increasing social coherence and that the
cohesive role of the national curriculum will provide the society with a greater sense of identity.
 Language is not a neutral entity. Language always relates to specific texts and contents and
usually to a context determined by social and sociocultural factors. An understanding of language
history is essential to an understanding of language and it should not be considered separately from
social and cultural change. It is difficult to see language use independently from the power of those
who use it or control its use or enforce its use on others.

A transitive verb is one which requires an object to be completed. In the passage from “My
Weekly” it is interesting to note that the transitive verbs are associated to male actions and intransitive
verbs with female actions.

In Barbara Cartland`s novels women are associated with the preposition up and the men with
the preposition down. The language used in these novels is violent. Writers of popular fiction are
interested in challenging existing ideologies. This strategy is not to cause discomfort. Thus, pop lyrics
should be juxtaposed with lyric poems, standard English with non- standard English representations,
transitivity in Cartland should be juxtaposed with transitivity in Conrad.

In the novet “Secret Agent” by Joseph Conrad, the transitivity patterns are once more central to
the ways in which experience, action and interaction are construed. In this passage there are a number
of key transitive patterns. The verbs have no human subject and actions are intransitive and passive.

The author of the article describes how a National Curriculum for modern English language
study should look like:

1. The study of the language should be rooted in texts and contexts, this means that it should concern
social and political patterns and that language cannot be seen as neutral- and decontextualised.
2. The study of the modern English language must be principled and systematic. In this way, the
language study should be an active process. It is important for students to understand the
constructedness of texts as writers themselves and textual critics. Comparison and contrast should be
done between literary and non- literary, between standard and non-standard English, between spoken
and written varieties of language, between female and male forms.
3. The study of the modern English language should be intimately connected with a study of the social
and cultural change – It is important for students to understand shifts in the meaning of the words
and also that the keyword “literature” is examined.
4. The study of modern English language must recognize that the study of literature is central- it
explores ways in which language and literature can be integrated so that they are mutually enriching.
This should be done in ways which are formed by recent developments in critical and cultural theory.