NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
Department of English Language and Literature
Examination for the Degree of BA
Semester II: 2000/01
EL1102: Studying English in Context
April/May 2001 Time Allowed: 2 hours
1. This paper contains FIVE (5) questions. Check that your paper is complete.
2. Answer Question 1, Question 2 and one other question. You should answer three questions in total.
3. Question 1 carries 40 marks whereas other questions carry 30 marks each. You will therefore be expected to spend a little more time in Question 1 than in the other questions.
Question 1 (Compulsory) (5 x 8 marks = 40 marks)
Examine any five of the eight statements below and write down your reactions to the statements (ie whether you agree or disagree, strongly or weakly) and provide reasons for your reactions. If appropriate, illustrate your answer with examples or elaborate on the statements. Please write a paragraph of about 70 words for each statement.
(a) ‘Academic writing can be used in subtle ways to mystify and control.’
(b) ‘Spoken conversational English is often grammatically incorrect.’
(c) ‘Standardisation curbs language variation.’
(d) ‘English is less inflexional today because of the contact between the English and the Vikings.’
(e) ‘Conversationalisation in adverts is a commendable phenomenon.’
(f) ‘English has been the main language in Britain since time immemorial.’
(g) ‘New varieties of English are chaotic and unsystematic.’
(h) ‘American English and British English are different varieties only in name.’
Question 2 (Compulsory) (30 marks)
Religious language is sometimes described as being authoritative (like academic writing), yet touching the heart (like informal conversation). Examine the following extract from one version of the Anglican marriage service (Common Worship, 2000).
1 The gift of marriage brings husband
and wife together
2 in the delight and tenderness of
sexual union
3 and joyful commitment tot the end of
their lives.
4 It is given as the foundation of
family life
5 in which children are [born and]
nurtured
6 and in which each member of the
family,
7 in good times and in bad,
8 may find strength, companionship and
comfort,
9 and grow to maturity in love.
10 Marriage is a way of life made holy by
God
11 and blessed by the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ
12 with those celebrating a wedding at Cana
in Galilee.
13 Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty
14 which all should uphold and honour.
15 It enriches society and strengthens
community.
16 No one should enter into it lightly or
selfishly
17 but reverently and responsibly in the
sight of almighty God.
(a) Suppose you are planning your own wedding ceremony and you wish to make the language very informal, although you will still use Standard English (not Colloquial Singaporean English). How would you rewrite lines 1 to 9?
(b) Show how the language of the service resembles academic writing to a certain extent. Contrast your version with the original.
(c) Does the language of the service resemble informal conversation in any way at all?
Please choose one of Question 3–5.
Question 3 (30 marks)
‘Language contact is a powerful force for change in language, particularly for the English language – whether lexically or grammatically.’
Discuss the above statement by focusing on two of the following: (a) English and French contact from the 11th to 15th centuries; (b) English and Latin contact during the Renaissance; (c) English, Malay and Chinese contact in Singapore.
Question 4 (30 marks)
‘The variety of the language that is seen as “prestigious” or “correct” is generally not necessarily the “best” variety but the variety associated with powerful groups of people.’
Respond to the above statement by referring to two of the following: (a) the development of standard English from the 15th to 18th centuries; (b) American English; (c) Singaporean English.
Question 5 (30 marks)
‘Language is never just a neutral code; the choice of a language or the choice of a particular variety of a language often tells us a lot about the person’s attitude towards that language or variety.’
Discuss the statement by referring to two of the following: (a) Trudgill’s study of English in Norwich; (b) Labov’s study of English in Martha’s Vineyard; (c) English as a world language.
– End of Paper –
© P Tan, R Rubdy, 2001