Language in Conflict - Language in Conflict. Language and power. Introduction This guide is written for students who are following GCE Advanced level (AS and A2) syllabuses in English Language.
This resource may also be of general interest to language students on university degree courses, trainee teachers and anyone with a general interest in language science. Agreement in the House of Lords? Not likely! A vintage engraving from 1861 showing tumult in the House of Lords Anyone who has watched Question Time in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords of the British Parliament will know that there is a certain kind of institutional rudeness which is acceptable as part of the ritualized confrontational encounters that take place there.
It is the job of MPs and Members of the House of Lords to question government ministers on matters for which they are responsible. Disagreement is therefore part and parcel of this particular context and interaction. However, the participants are also bound by the rules of the respective Houses and perhaps this is especially so in the House of Lords, where some of the highly formal traditions have been in place since the 14th century and which account for the sometimes archaic language and behaviour.