Abstract:
In Sri Lanka, English has long been a language of authority granting access to the higher
classes of society. Hence it is referred to by the colloquial appellation kaduwa, meaning ‘the
sword’. However the English that is spoken in Sri Lanka today is not the same as the English
that was introduced by the British colonizers since the year 1796. At present, there is an
observable tendency to deviate from the “British” standards of speaking English and to use a
variety of English which is identified as ‘Sri Lankan English’. Nevertheless, this tendency is
not always regarded in a positive light. The research was conducted to explore the acceptance,
the attitudes towards grammatical accuracy and lexicography of Sri Lankan English among
undergraduates and graduates of the University of Kelaniya. The study was conducted as a
quantitative analysis of the data gathered through a questionnaire survey including 50
participants. The findings were compared with responses from the older users of English.
Hence it reveals the levels of acceptance of Sri Lankan English among the youth and the older
generation. The study shows a number of language traits that are regarded as acceptable and
unacceptable by Sri Lankan English speakers belonging to two different generations. The
results reveal that both the younger generation and the older generation hold a more permissible
attitude towards the use of English. Although the older users of the language might not
necessarily use words that belong to the language of the youth, they are aware of their
meanings. This can be attributed to the increased acceptance and the popularity of Sri Lankan
English. Nevertheless, it is seen that interlocutors welcome additions to the spoken language
but not necessarily to the written language. They display less willingness to bend certain rigid
rules, especially grammar rules and rules governing the pronunciation of words.
