English · KS3 Y9 · Spoken English

Speaking in Standard English

Speaking in Standard EnglishFree4:39Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard

What you need to know

  • Grammar is a set of patterns for putting words together, and different languages have different patterns.
  • Prescriptivists want a language to follow fixed rules; descriptivists record how people actually use it.
  • Standard written English grew from one spoken variety, usually that of the powerful, and other varieties were unfairly labelled as wrong.
  • Speech has its own regular patterns, so dialect is difference rather than error.
  • Knowing the standard form is still useful for formal situations and for communicating widely.

In this clip

0:06–4:22Standard English and dialect
Also coversSpeaking in Standard English
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
On YouTube

2.61M views · 60.3K likes · TED-Ed 23M subscribers

As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-03. Not part of the Heddy Score.
How the Heddy Score works

Why we picked it

A short, balanced explanation of why Standard English exists and why dialect variation is not a mistake, ideal for opening class discussion.

TED-Ed on YouTubechecked 2026-10-22

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