Descriptivism
Descriptivism is a non-condemning approach to language focusing on how it is literally spoken and written. It is called linguistic descriptivism as well, it contrasts with prescriptivism [1].
Descriptivism is the principle that books about language must describe how language is really used, instead of giving rules to follow saying what is correct and what is not [2].
Descriptivism is an approach which is characterized by an exclusive concern with the description of language. Its proponents are known as descriptivists [Crystal, 139].
Descriptivism is the policy of describing languages as they exist. A well-known feature of traditional grammar is the presence of prescriptivism: identifying and recommending forms and usages favoured by the analyst and judging others not favoured by the analyst. Excepting only in certain educational contexts, modern linguists completely reject prescriptivism, and their researches are based on descriptivism instead.
Descriptivism is a central principle of what we consider a scientific approach to the study of language: the initial requirement in any investigation is to get the facts right. Prescriptivism, in contrast, is not a scientific approach. The opinions of prescriptivists may be regarded as recommendations about style, an aspect of social mores, a result of our educational system, or even as a matter of morality, but they are not about actual behaviour, so they are not scientific [Trask, 47-48].
⠀ 1. Retrieved from: ThoughtCo [https://www.thoughtco.com/descriptivism-language-term-1690441].
⠀ 2. Retrieved from: Cambridge Online Dictionary [https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ru/%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8C/%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9/descriptivism].
⠀ 3. David Crystal. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 6th Edition. New-Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
⠀ 4. R.L.Trask. (1999). Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. London: Routledge.