Interpreters are Applied Linguists!

Elizabeth (Betsy) Winston

Thoughts on Prescriptivism vs. Descriptivism; Presumptivism vs. Analytical Objectivism
Prescriptivism and Descriptivism: This distinction is an essential one, and is one that you
need to keep in mind throughout the course and throughout your career. Prescriptivism is
an approach to language use that judges it as right or wrong, good or bad. It is what we
learn in school, and from grammar books: the right way to speak our native language, the
rules, the restrictions. We learn that, in modern American English, it is wrong to use
double negatives (I dont got none) and that sentences cannot end with prepositions (Who
did you go with?). When we learn a foreign or second language, we like to learn the rules
so that we can speak it well, without making mistakes. The rules provide guidelines for
using language, so that all the speakers have standard usages.
Descriptivism takes the opposite approach. It does not judge what you say as right
or wrong; it simply describes what you said. If only one person says something (I dont
got none or Who did you go with), then the sentence is described as unusual or not
common, but never wrong. If many people use the same phrases, they are labeled as in
use. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to each approach. As you go
through this course, keep these terms in mind and think about how you approach the
subject of language use around you.
Prescriptivism can also lead to ideas of language superiority- myths that one
language is better or worse than another. Another notion to keep in mind throughout this
course is that all languages are equal- they are all equally complex, and they are all used
for the same functions. It is not the language that is superior or inferior, primitive or
complex. Rather, it is our perception of the language and culture that influences us to
judge the quality of the language itself (and of the speakers who use it). It is an
interesting, if vicious, circle.
Presumptiveness vs. Analytical Objectivity: Another notion to keep in mind as we work
through this course is that our ideas of prescriptive right and wrong; superior and
inferior languages; feed into our stereotypes and perceptions. I havent found the
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right word yet, but I think of it as presumptiveness vs. professional language

analysts, which is what we are as interpreters.
Presumptiveness builds from prescriptiveness but goes far beyond it. A persons
language use may be wrong, uneducated, dialectal, etc. Hearing or seeing that language
leads us to presume that we know what the person is likestupid, poor, snooty,
incompetentyou get my idea? Hearing or seeing someone whose language use
impresses us (network news anchors, a British accent, a soft-spoken leader) leads us to
presume that the person speaking or signing is nice, smart, respectable, fair, honest,
again, you get my meaning?
From these presumptions, we immediately begin to categorize those we meet,
work with and live among. Some we categorize as needy, pathetic, sadand we in turn
begin to use language that can reflect condescension or superiority. Some we categorize
as admirable, worthy, venerable and we begin to extol their wonderful qualities.
This type of evaluative categorization is normal and as human beings we begin
doing this early. In itself it is neither right nor wrong-it simply is. As we grow, learn and
experience, we are often fortunate to learn ways of moving beyond these initial
presumptions, of thinking critically and analytically, collect examples (i.e. data) and
evidence to support or disprove our initial presumptions. For example, the boss whose
greetings are always rude and curt and who hates me and has it out for me is later
understood to be simply shy and distracted, and that the distraction is often due to how
much s/he cares about running a fair and honest company for your benefit. The colleague
who always interrupts to prove how much smarter s/he is, in fact just really enjoys
overlap and sees it as a way to show support for your ideas.
The evolution, from prescriptive, presumptive categorizing to descriptive,
analytical observation of language use patterns over time is essential in our development
as professional language analysts (or, simply-put-as applied linguists!) In our every-day
life, we might remain prescriptive and presumptive; in our work, we must move as far
towards the descriptive, applied linguist end of the thinking continuum, and analyze all
interactions, including our own, as patterns of language use that have extraordinary
impact on our lives, and on those we serve as interpreters.

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