The study of language has convinced most linguists that all languages and thus all dialects, are equally good. All varieties are structured, complex, rule-governed systems which fully meet the needs of their speakers. Therefore, value judgments concerning the correctness and purity of language varieties are social rather than linguistic.

SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS

Language, as we have seen, is not simply a means of communicating messages. It is also a symbol of identity and group membership. To suggest that a person's language, and that of the people with whom she identifies, is inferior in some way implies that she is inferior. In teaching environments this attitude, whether conscious or sub-conscious, often leads to a teaching approach geared towards the elimination of what is considered non-standard speech. For example, the person may be told it is "wrong" to say I done it, I ain't got it, or He a good guy. It is therefore implied that the teacher's speech is "correct" and "good"–the model to aim for. This, in turn, is likely to lead to alienation and/or rejection. It is also socially wrong because it may appear that certain social groups are less valuable than others.

Origins of Some "English" Words