elegant speakers], which is carefully to be avoided by all those, who are desirous to speak well. (81) Ward apparently believed that both proper English and nonstandard dialects have their place within their own contexts, stating that vulgar have their peculiar words and “the phrases, suited to their circumstances, and taken from such things, as usually occur in their way of (81). However, such words and are not necessarily life” “peculiar phrases” appropriate outside of their context. Those who speak English with and “accuracy should not only avoid the use of colloquial words and phrases, but politeness” “vulgar” should also avoid difficult or complex language that is not universally understood. “Polite and elegant are those who show respect for the language and those with whom speakers” they are speaking. As the English language migrated to the United States, so did attitudes concerning the preservation of the purity of the language. In 1892, for instance, A. R. Spofford encouraged the Modern Language Association to against the tide of create “a barrier vulgar slang, which is coming in like a flood, and threatens to submerge our noble English (qtd. in Stewart 130). In 1946, in and the English tongue” “Politics Language,” George Orwell first states the general assumption that the degradation of English is inevitable and impossible to counteract; Orwell then refutes this assumption: Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent, and our language—so the argument runs—must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of
elegant speakers], which is carefully to be avoided by all those, who are desirous to speak well. (81) Ward apparently believed that both proper English and nonstandard dialects have their place within their own contexts, stating that “the vulgar have their peculiar words and phrases, suited to their circumstances, and taken from such things, as usually occur in their way of life” (81). However, such “peculiar words and phrases” are not necessarily appropriate outside of their context. Those who speak English with “accuracy and politeness” should not only avoid the use of “vulgar” colloquial words and phrases, but should also avoid difficult or complex language that is not universally understood. “Polite and elegant speakers” are those who show respect for the language and those with whom they are speaking. As the English language migrated to the United States, so did attitudes concerning the preservation of the purity of the language. In 1892, for instance, A. R. Spofford encouraged the Modern Language Association to create “a barrier against the tide of vulgar slang, which is coming in like a flood, and threatens to submerge our noble English tongue” (qtd. in Stewart 130). In 1946, in “Politics and the English Language,” George Orwell first states the general assumption that the degradation of English is inevitable and impossible to counteract; Orwell then refutes this assumption: Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent, and our language—so the argument runs—must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of