Summary

In this episode, Morana and Linda sit down with linguist Hielke Vriesendorp to discuss language norms from two angles: online grammar policing and emerging non-binary pronouns in Dutch. They explore how prescriptivism plays out on the internet, how Dutch speakers navigate pronoun choices like die and hen, and why survey design matters for inclusion. From punctuation debates to linguistic activism, Hielke shares insights on balancing broad trends with individual voices.

Episode highlights:

• From commas to Facebook grammar wars: Hielke’s first study revealed that online grammar discussions focus less on traditional syntax and more on punctuation and homophones.
• Non-binary Dutch pronouns: Unlike English’s singular they, Dutch speakers use forms like die, hen, and hun, with grammatical role heavily influencing choice.
• Pronouns & perception: Pronouns are highly salient today—politicized, negotiated, and deeply personal.
• Generalizing with care: Hielke reflects on the tension between visibility through generalization and preserving individual identity and nuance.
• Survey design & inclusion: Collaboration with Rory Wilson shows people prefer six-option gender questions that offer both recognition and flexibility.
• Polder Nederlands: Once seen as a modern innovation, this vowel shift has now become normalized in Dutch—demonstrating how prestige shifts over time.
• Macro, meso, micro variation: Hielke proposes using these sociolinguistic levels to capture both large-scale trends and local, embodied experience.
• The politics of standardization: Language norms often function as tools of inclusion and exclusion—and queer linguistics helps push back.

Linguistics fun fact:

Dutch non-binary pronouns aren't just picked—they’re positioned. A speaker might use die as subject, but hen as object, and diens as possessive—all depending on the grammatical role in the sentence.

Links and resources mentioned:

• “The Internet’s New Usage Problems” – Hielke’s first publication in English Today (2016)
• Hielke's paper on Macro, Micro, and Meso Approaches to Generalizing in Queer Linguistics (2024)
• Paper reporting the large-scale survey on Dutch non-binary pronouns in Nederlandse taalkunde (2024) (in Dutch)
• Vriesendorp & Wilson: Survey design paper on gender inclusivity (2024)
• Vriesendorp & Rutten. Polder Dutch publication (2019)

Episode summary:

In this episode, hosts Morana Lukač, Linda Pillière, and Ingrid Tieken are joined by Dr. Ian Cushing, Senior Lecturer in Critical Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. Together, they unpack the ideological foundations and social consequences of prescriptivism in education—how language norms become embedded in school policy, how they marginalize certain students and teachers, and how educators are pushing back.

Building on Ian’s research and lived experience, the conversation explores the intersections of race, class, and language, revealing how so-called "standard" English functions as a tool of surveillance and control in contemporary schooling. Despite the challenges, Ian highlights examples of hope and resistance led by teachers advocating for critical language awareness.

Episode highlights:

• Ian’s journey: From school experiences to linguistic justice.
• Structural prescriptivism: Language norms enforced through policy.
• Language & bias: “Correct” English as social gatekeeping.
• Ofsted’s role: Non-standard speech linked to poor performance.
• Beyond words: Prescriptivism targets bodies, not just language.
• Reform critique: Post-2010 policies deepened linguistic inequality.
• Teacher resistance: CLAW Collective fosters change and hope.

Linguistics fun fact:

Did you know some schools explicitly ban filler words like “like” and “um”? Even speaking in incomplete sentences can be grounds for correction—all part of controlling how students express themselves.

Links and resources mentioned:

The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism (with Ian and Julia Snell’s chapter “Prescriptivism in education: from language ideologies to listening practices”)

“The white ears of Ofsted” – Cushing & Snell, Language in Society

Standards, Stigma, Surveillance – Ian's 2022 book on raciolinguistic ideologies in England’s schools

Ian's paper on "word gaps" (2022)

Episode summary:

In this third episode of Language, Law and Order, hosts Morana Lukač, Linda Pillière, and Ingrid Tieken are joined by guests Eline Lismont and Rik Vosters from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Building on themes from previous episodes, they explore the evolving landscape of linguistic prescriptivism through the lens of Dutch. From spelling shifts to grammatical debates, the episode unpacks how language norms emerge, spread, and sometimes fail—revealing the complex forces behind standardization and language change.

Episode highlights:

• What Is Prescriptivism, Really? Eline and Rik open the discussion by defining prescriptivism not just as a set of rules, but as a broader ideology tied to power, identity, and social norms.
• Institutional vs. Everyday Prescriptivism: The guests discuss how prescriptive norms emerge both from formal institutions—like grammar books and schools—and informal contexts, such as a parent correcting a child’s speech.
• Dutch in Focus: Through case studies from their research, Eline and Rik show how prescriptive norms have influenced Dutch orthography and grammar, including the now-standard “AA” spelling and the long-standing groter dan vs. groter als debate.
• What Makes Norms Stick? Eline shares insights from her PhD work on why some language norms catch on while others fade. Simplicity, visibility, and uptake in printed texts all play a role.
• Failures Matter Too: Rik highlights how failed standardization efforts—like accent spellings that never caught on—offer valuable insight into the limits of linguistic authority.
• Standardization and the State: The conversation also touches on how language standardization in the Netherlands was tied to nation-building, culminating in the early 19th-century reforms by Siegenbeek (spelling) and Weiland (grammar).

Linguistics fun fact:

Did you know? The once-popular groter als construction in Dutch nearly replaced groter dan—until grammarians pushed back and reversed the trend.

Looking ahead:

The series will continue to explore the forces that shape our understanding of “proper” language—across history, disciplines, and communities.

Links and resources mentioned:

Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism

Eline Lismont's PhD thesis Setting the Standard: Norms and usage in Early and Late Modern Dutch (1550-1850)