MR A Walmsley (Letters, January 3), really needn't lament the "corruption" of Standard English. This remains the accepted written form, and, despite the many delightful regional accents, virtually the only spoken form in the UK.

The advent of the radio and television ensured the dominance of Standard English, leading to the demise of many dialect forms and the loss of many places' linguistic heritages -- rich dialects cultivated over centuries parallel to the more patrician form, from which Standard English and Received Pronunciation derived.

As for the foul language used on television nowadays, I suggest Mr Walmsley invokes his off switch if he disapproves.

Mr Walmsley also suggests that English should become "frozen" and extinct like Latin. What made Mr Walmsley use the example of Latin? It was never "frozen" -- the Latin now commonly known was merely that as written in the Classical era, as distinct from the earlier archaic variety and the Late Latin and Vulgar Latin, from which the Romance languages, including French, Italian and Castilian Spanish, were sired. To suggest that Latin was "frozen" as such is naive.

Mr Walmsley also infers that those of us who fail to use the "educated" Received Pronunciation are to be disdained as the "unwashed masses." This is arrogant and offensive.

Such seemingly class-based, elitist prejudices should be confined to the annals of history. Even the poorest members of the peasantry can, I'm sure, obtain soap, Mr Walmsley.

In short, Mr Walmsley is free to speak English in whatever accent or form pleases him, as are the rest of us. It would, however, be nice, in this brave new millennium, if people like him became more open-minded and accepting of the speech of others.

GRAHAM ASPIN, Victoria Avenue, Blackburn.