Accent and Dialect Flashcards
(51 cards)
What are the 7 key concepts to Accent and dialect?
1- Variants
2- Changing accents
3- Regional dialects
4- Teenagers
5- Standard English
6- Estuary English
7- Code switching
8- MBE
1- What study links to variants and who conducted it?
William Labov- Martha’s Vineyard
What did Martha’s Vineyard study conclude about variants?
It was a social dialect study which found that certain key variables that differed
- interspeaker variation (between speaker)
- intraspeaker variation (within speaker)
Regional divide
- fishing industry = centralised variants
- lowest rates of centralisation were from those who actively disliked the island (diverge)
2- What key theorists are involved in changing accents?
Giles
Trudgill
Setter
Why is Howard Giles important when discussing changing accents?
Accommodation theory
convergence- move towards speakers accent
divergence- move away, set yourself apart
Why is Peter Trudgill important when discussing changing accents?
NORWICH STUDY
All social classes in how they pronunciated the suffix ‘ing’
- more careful walking
- men more likely to say walkin
- more women said they said walking
Why is Jane Setter important when discussing changing accents?
She discusses misconceptions
X accents not codified
X not always regionally based
X rustic associated with WC/rural areas
- bidialectism
- accent softening/levelling
- accent modification
- accentism
- linguistic prejudice
- ethnolect
JANE SETTER
What does bidialectism mean?
Using 2 dialects of the same language
e.g. teaching of SE to pupils who normally use a nonstandard dialect
JANE SETTER
What does accent softening and levelling mean?
S- the process of altering, reducing or changing your accent
L- regional variations are reduced for interaction
JANE SETTER
What does accent modification mean?
Focuses on speech sounds (consonants and vowels), stress, intonation and naturalness factors such as rate of speech
- improved clarity, learn new accent, personal choice
JANE SETTER
What does accentism mean?
Discriminatory or unfair behaviour centred on someone’s accent or language use
- unfair treatment because of their speech
JANE SETTER
What does linguistic prejudice mean?
When people hold implicit biases about others based on the way they speak
JANE SETTER
What does ethnolect mean?
A language variety that marks speakers as members of ethnic groups who originally used another language or distinctive variety
3- Regional dialects
- origins of our regional dialects
- invasion/immigration- UK
- dialect specific to where we live/brought up
- distinctive way of speaking (Liverpool n The Wirral)
- linked to identity
- sense of belonging/pride
LEXIS- lexical variation a significant aspect
e.g. Cockney rhyming slang
Regional dialects
What are idiomatic phrases?
Phrase known/accepted that is different from dictionary definition of each individual word
- hot the nail on the head
Regional dialects
What is social mobility?
Social class level movement
- job, marriage, family
- economic or financial situation
Regional dialects
What is code switching?
Bilingual speaker will use/alternate between different language while talking
4- Who are the 7 key people in terms of language studies on teenagers?
1- Gary Ives
2- Jenny Chesire
3- Martinez
4- Berland
5- Eckert
6- Anna-Brita Stenstrom
7- Bigham
Teenagers
1- Gary Ives- West Yorkshire school
63Qs, 100% agreed that age meant you spoke differently
- concluded that you got more standard and ‘posh’ as you got older
X Eckert- define the concept of age- social or biological
Teenagers
2- Jenny Chesire- Reading study
- language develops in terms of important life events
- girls and boys conformed to conventions of group
- language was the integral part of the group
Teenagers
3- Martinez
Teenagers use more negatives and double negatives
- never, no way
Teenagers
4- Berland
The use of tags was an important factor and indicator of social class
Teenagers
5- Eckert
- slang establishes a connection to youth culture
- diverge from older generation
- cool n tough attitude
- coin new lexical items
Teenagers
6- Anna-Brita Stenstrom
Discusses teenage talk
- irregular turn-taking
- abbreviations
- feature such as slang, taboo, teasing, overlaps