Introduction: in the shadow of the standard. Standard language ideology and attitudes towards ‘non-standard’ varieties and usages

Walsh, Olivia

Abstract

This special issue provides new perspectives on how standard language ideology (SLI) informs and influences attitudes towards ‘non-standard’ language varieties. Standard languages are commonly viewed as uniform, minimally varying (homogeneous) forms of language [Haugen, E. 1966. “Dialect, Language, Nation.” American Anthropologist 68: 922–935.], and existing research in the area of language standardisation has largely focussed on standard languages in (perceived) monolingual nations, mainly restricted to those in Western Europe. The theoretical frameworks used to discuss language standardisation have often assumed that speakers of standard languages are monolingual (even if tacitly acknowledging varieties related to the standard, which can differ in terms of their ‘distance’ from that standard). Yet standard languages always exist alongside other languages and language varieties (including ‘non-standard’ varieties of the standard itself), and many speakers use the standard as an acquired variety alongside at least one other variety or language. This special issue challenges the assumption of monolingual standard languages, by presenting evidence of the impact–linguistic, social and cultural–of standard language ideologies on ‘non-standard’ language varieties that exist alongside standard languages in various political and cultural contexts within and outside Europe.

Citation

Walsh, O. (2021). Introduction: in the shadow of the standard. Standard language ideology and attitudes towards ‘non-standard’ varieties and usages. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 42(9), 773-782. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1813146

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 17, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 28, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Deposit Date: Nov 3, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 29, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
• Print ISSN: 0143-4632
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-7557
• Publisher: Informa UK Limited
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 42
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 773-782
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1813146
• Keywords: Standard language; standardisation; language ideologies; language attitudes; multilingualism
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4843005
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rmmm20/