2. Nur Solehah binti Sabli (1718098)
3. Munirah binti
Rosmin (1717684)
4. Muhammad Syazwan
bin Subari (1714265)

According to Show (1927), correct English does not exist. Only good English does which accords to the standard form. Standard English refers to the form that has undergone codification and standardization of its rules especially in grammar rulings (Trudgill, 2011). English is the most complex language and that many people from various regions use it differently according to their own varieties and dialects. According to Kamm (2015), English grammar has lots of rules which means it is real rules. It includes things like word order and inflection for number or tense. However, if we are going to talk about “correct English”, this can be expressed in the phrase “standard English” (The Guradian, 2012). The author added that this is because English is run by rules and all of the rules are fixed while linguists cannot have the universal agreement on how the parts and the functions should be analyzed and described. It is also being understood rules to be regulations that are drawn up in some agreed list. So, that is why people most likely to imagine standard English as correct English. But in fact, it is difficult to identify the correctness of the English.

There are some significant reasons that drives language to be used such as the means of communication that is also considered as the primary use of language to convey informative, expressive and directive information. Language also used as an individual and collective identity to reason, express ideas, argue, express thoughts, feelings and actions as well as to maintain its status across the globe.

However, people yearned for correctness and this is expressed in the phrase “Standard English”. Correct English usually implied perfection and it would be impossible for an individual to claim themselves to speak perfect English however some native speakers would claim that they speak correct English. 

"Being in London, I hope, will correct their language," wrote the head of a gentry family in the North East of England when sending his daughters off to school in the capital in 1808 (Collingwood 1957, p. 240). Some may believe people in London speak correct English. Honey (2000) mentioned that London was also a centre of professional education and Oxford and Cambridge were also named in some definitions of the best speech.

Some people may have a view that Standard English is the most formal version of language and is often used in academic paper and they also associate Standard English with Correct English. 

 

Language is the only way for us, human beings to communicate, be it sound or signs convey objects, actions and ideas. Language is the key to human lives and it can prevent from misunderstanding by using it as an instrument to transfer communication among people. Malinowski suggests, language is "the necessary means of communion; it is the one indispensable instrument for creating the ties of the moment without which unified social action is impossible." Language can thus be said to be at the core of humanity.

 

 

Nurairina Dalila binti Hasri (1621640)

Nur Sabrina binti Saldi @ Mohd Saudi (1629084)

Nurhani binti Mansor (1623736)

Assalamualaikum to madam and friends,

From our findings, we can say that there is no confirmation whether there is correct English or not because different researcher have different views about it. According to Heffer (2015), there is correct English which is the English used in the newspaper. This is said so because correct English in the newspaper refers to Standard English. However, in contrast with Kamm (2015), he stated that Standard English is not correct English, however, Standard English is the most recognizable English language. Kamm (2015) further explained there is no such thing as correct English as different language has different grammar. In addition, standard and non-standard all have its own grammatical structure. 

Other than that, based on our reading, correct English does not exist because according to Linguistic Society of America, languages naturally adapt to their situations of use and also reflect the social identities of their speaker which makes linguistic variation is unavoidable and natural. The Guardian (2012) stated that correct English is standard English. Standard English is needed and useful for certain circumstances, especially in education and professional work. Prescriptivists and descriptivist have different arguments on standard English. Descriptivist believes that although English is changing, it is not changing in debilitating way. In fact, living languages must change, adapt and grow.  

Language is one of the important means of communication. We used language to speak and express our feelings, language which comes in various ways is indeed the only means of communication. For example, we have languages that involves speaking and producing sound, which is verbal language and we also have language that does not involves production of sound and it only involves the production of signs which is sign language. Therefore, we believe the thing that drives people into using language is because we communicate to connect with each other and language is the only means to do that. Without language, there’s no way possible that we could exchange emotion, messages and many more. According to Sirbu (2015), language is a fundamental aspect of expressing one’s culture and it is also the proves of historical continuity for human beings

However, of course we have to take diversity into consideration. That is why we partially believe that there is also no such thing as “correct English (in certain circumstances). When a person utters the English language in a non – “correct” way, this does not denote the person as someone who is uneducated (Tsehelska, 2006). There is definitely no basis to associate nonstandard English grammar and educational performances. The main reason we use language is simply to communicate with the people around us. Therefore, it is not the matter of how the way we speak the language but as long as the message we wish to transmit is being mutually understood, then that should suffice. Sometimes we have to be more accepting and inclusive of differences and accommodate to the way they speak, even though this means we will be using “incorrect” English in order to increase the solidarity.