活動手冊 - 開南大學

Justifying Standard English: Criticizing an Introductory Textbook
Dogma
Brian Zamulinski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Applied English
Kainan University
Abstract
Introductory linguistics textbooks frequently contend that any dialect of a language
is as good as any other. I argue that the claim is false, that it cannot be substantiated,
that attempts to substantiate it fail because of logical errors, that standard dialects are
objectively better than non-standard ones in readily understood ways, that, in particular,
both native speakers and learners of EFL ought to use Standard English for most
purposes, and that the kernel of truth that the contention contains is not substantial
enough to justify taking it into consideration when decisions about the content of
English courses are made. My arguments will serve to illustrate the fact that empirical
research methods sometimes need be supplemented by valid forms of logical and
evaluative reasoning as developed and used by philosophers.
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