I just read that article from http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2011/09/27/do-you-like-like/
and I find the whole debate quite interesting. The fact that 'like' has entered the English language as a filler is quite weird, I mean, it's only a recent thing... why has it happened? I think it's probably down to youth culture, teenagers being lazy with language (much like myself, sometimes!) It's true that 'like' is often used instead of 'said' - I'd say this only happens among younger speakers, but is becoming increasingly popular.
Another theory as to why 'like' is being used in a different context is the influence of American English - It's true that the UK is heavily influenced by America, mainly through the media - We, as a nation, watch tons of American television shows, DVDs and subconsciously absorb their culture on a daily basis through the medium of the media, so it's no wonder why their language is having an influence on the English language.
Another example of how American English has influenced our language is the spelling of 'Mum' - In England, it has always been spelt 'mum' but most recently, there has been an increase in the amount of people who spell it as 'mom' -like American English! < Here, I take the prescriptivist view, as I believe that the spelling that we use here is dependent on our pronunciation - we do not say MOM.
Even the spellcheck doesn't appreciate it.
What an interesting blog! I must admit I've not come across people using 'Mom' but I certainly agree with your points about it. I think you are right about 'like' being something that has come into British spoken language influenced by American teenage usage. I don't think the 'lazy' argument would hold - look up what Jean Aitchison says about 'the damp spoon' response to language change. Before 'like', Southampton teenagers made a lot of use of 'an tha' as a filler, so it's more about a replacement than a new feature altogether. Fascinating stuff, though!
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