Language Codes :: Papers

Language Codes The construct of elaborated and confine language codes was introduced by sweet basil Bernstein in 1971, as a way of banknoteing for the relatively pitiful performance of solveing-class pupils on language-based subjects, when they were achieving as well as their upper-middle-class counterparts on mathematical topics. Interestingly, it was stimulated directly by his experience of belief in further education. It is frequently misunderstood, largely because of Bernsteins unfortunate choice of labels. The restricted code does non refer to restricted vocabulary, and the elaborated code does not entail flowery use of language. There is an issue of linguistic meagreness in the educational problems of some pupils, but Bernstein is not on the strong concerned with such extreme cases. One of Bernsteins research studies involved viewing a group of children a strip cartoon and recording their account of what it depicted. Some said things lik e Theyre playing football and he kicks it and it goes through and through there it breaks the window and theyre looking at it and he comes come out of the closet and shouts at them because theyve low-down it so they run away and then she looks out and she tells them reach while others said Three boys argon playing football and ane boy kicks the ball and it goes through the window the ball breaks the window and the boys are looking at it and a man comes out and shouts at them because theyve broken the window so they run away and then that lady looks out of her window and she tells the boys off. (from Bernstein, 1971 p 203 re-arranged) As Bernstein points out, the first account makes good spirit if you have the strip cartoon in front of you, but nub much less without it. This is an example of restricted code. The second can baulk on its own, and is an example of elaborated code. See Bernsteins own work for detailed accounts of t he research behind the construct.