Speech vs Which one is primary, speech or

writing writing?
  • Written texts tend to be more carefully worded and better
organized than spoken texts, they contain fewer errors,
hesitations, and incomplete sentences, because writing is usually
planned in advance, is subject to fewer time constraints, is
proofread, etc.
 Spelling is more uniform across different individuals, places and
Is writing times using the same language than is pronunciation.
primary?  Written texts last and can be preserved for a long time. However:
CDs, youtube . . . can preserve speech
 Writing styles change much more slowly than speech styles, and
so writing seems more “permanent” and “authoritative”.
However: This can be is also disadvantage – writing lags behind
the times.
  Linguists claim that speech is primary base on the reasons below
 Historically, spoken language existed much earlier than writing.
Writing was most likely invented in Sumer (Mesopotamia, current
Iraq) about 5500 years ago. Language probably exists for 40,000
or more.
 There are many societies which only speak their language and do
not write it. And no society uses only a written language (with no
Speech is spoken form).
primary  We learn to speak before we learn to write.
 Most people say more during one month than they write during
their entire lives.
 Writing must be taught, whereas spoken language is acquired
automatically.
 Speech contains information that writing lacks – intonation,
stress, voice quality . . .
 Descriptive vs Prescriptive Grammar
Languages are not descriptive or prescriptive. These are terms
that refer to grammar.
Prescriptive grammar
A prescriptive grammar is like a law code. It states the way
sentences can be constructed according to a set of arbitrary
rules. If a sentence does not follow the rules of the
prescriptive grammar, then it is considered ungrammatical.
Eg; John is older than her – wrong / bad grammar
John is older than she is. – correct / good grammar
- Descriptivist argues that – this form is used by actual
speaker of the language it should included in the data and
studied.
 Descriptive grammar

A descriptive grammar derives its rules from the way people

actually speak. If a sentence is constructed the way a native
speaker of the language would say it, then the sentence is
considered grammatical.
Describes language forms objectively and nonjudgmentally
It aims to study the language on how it is used by actual
speakers
  Descriptive grammar is where you look at what native speakers
do and record that as the "correct" grammar. In other words rules
follow the people.
 Prescriptive grammar is where someone writes some rules and
then tells everyone that they have to speak like that. In this case
Differences the people follow the rules.
 Descriptive grammar describes how languages is used.
 Prescriptive grammar describes how languages should be used.
Descriptive vs
Prescriptive