LL-L: "Language maintenance" LOWLANDS-L, 12.AUG.2000 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 12.AUG.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Language maintenance

Criostoir wrote:

> ... I have a complete lack of confidence in writing
Irish, although I can speak it fluently. <

I assume that he is using "fluently" to mean "without hesitation" rather
than the usual meaning of "accurately".

>I have a problem with my own local language which has no written form:
therefore a Nottingham English speaker has to use standard English as her
or
his medium of written communication, and this can adversely affect their
ability to write exactly what they want, particularly as a number of
grammatical constructions that are the foundation of Nottingham English -
such as [aij: si:jn:] where standard English uses 'I saw' and [aij: jaen:
no^ ne^v@: d at n: i^] for 'I haven't ever done such a thing' - are considered

particularly 'incorrect English'.<

What is the real problem here? If Nottingham English is a language then
whether its usages are considered "incorrect" in another languages is
irrelevant. I'm sure that lots of people who speak non-standard varieties
of
English use local forms in writing to each other. Don't be too "pure".
Write
"I seen" and "I ain't not never done it" so that the largest possible
number
of people can understand. If that works, take a further step and try to be
more "phonetic" if that seems a good idea. If you lose comprehensibility,
go
back a step. Don't be put off from putting your interesting thoughts down
in
your own language by problems which you are inventing yourself.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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