Figure 5.1 The language subordination model
Mystification is a basic tool in the application of any ideology but the
fact is that people do communicate with each other in the vernacular, and
they do so daily, without specialized knowledge of language. The claim
that spoken language is so complex that mere native speakers can never
sort things out for themselves is countered by evidence, but the
mystification message is so strong that many people really believe they
don’t speak their own language well.
A particularly striking case of self-denigration comes out of England,
where John Prescott, a prominent politician, was a constant object of
mockery in the print media not so much for his policies, but for his
English (Wooding 2008). It’s certainly nothing unusual for newspapers to
target an individual for grievances, real or imaginary. What was unusual in
this case was the target’s complicit agreement:
Mr. Prescott said: