Language and Region

Question 1

What is Standard English (SE) ?

Answer 1

The received form of language which operates by universally agreed principles of grammar, syntax and often spelling - associated with formality, clarity in overt prestige.

Question 2

What is a regional accent?

Answer 2

Manner of pronunciation particular to a geographical place

Question 3

What is a regional dialect?

Answer 3

The lexical and grammatical features particular to a geographical place

Question 4

What is a double negative?

Answer 4

E.G. I’ve not got nothing

Question 5

What are the three types of received pronunciation (RP)?

Answer 5

Conservative RP - royal family, BBC
contemporary RP - elite but more casual sounding
mainstream RP - absence of regionality

Question 6

What did George Bernard Shaw say?

Answer 6

“It is impossible for an Englishman to open its mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him”

Question 7

Dr Lance Workman - accent and perception of intelligence

Answer 7

Compared York, RP, Birmingham and a silent control condition. The Yorkshire action was found to be perceived as more intelligent than RP. The Birmingham accent was on par with the silent condition in terms of intelligence. A correlation was not found between attractiveness and accent.

Question 8

Howard Giles (1970) - how far responses to speakers were due to an individual accent alone or to their character

Answer 8

Used a matched guise technique (creates issues as it is not a real accent). Use three main parameters: status, personality and persuasiveness.
FINDINGS:
Status: 1st RP 2nd national accent 3rd regional rural accents 4th regional urban accents.
Personality:
RP was self-confident, ambitious, cold and ruthless where is northern accented speech was honest, reliable, generous, sincere, warm and humorous.
Persuasiveness:
Only the presentation done in a regional accent changed the listeners’ minds.