Changing standards? Children's awareness and knowledge of features of written standard English at ages 10–11

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a small‐scale research project, which investigated the levels of awareness and knowledge of written standard English of 10‐ and 11‐year‐old children in two English primary schools over a six‐year period, coinciding with the implementation in the schools of the National Literacy Strategy (NLS). A questionnaire was used to provide quantitative and qualitative data relating to: features of writing which were recognised as standard or non‐standard; children's understanding of technical terminology; variations between boys' and girls' performance; and the impact of the NLS over time. The findings reveal variations in levels of recognition of different non‐standard features, differences between girls' and boys' recognition, possible examples of language change, but no evidence of a positive impact of the NLS. The implications of these findings are discussed both in terms of changes in educational standards and changes to standard English.