Accents and Dialects

Question 1

Define covert prestige

Answer 1

The prestige that derives from behaviour that goes against the norms of respectable society

Question 2

Define overt prestige

Answer 2

Prestige that attaches to respectable, socially desired behaviours

Question 3

What are the 5 characteristics Crystal identified about Standard English?

Answer 3

1. Not regionally based
2. Distinctive in grammar, vocab and orthography, but it can be spoken by any accent (SE has no accent)
3. Most prestigious variety of English
4. Most widely understood
5. Commonly used in printed texts

Question 4

What are the attitudes to SE?

Answer 4

• Often regarded as the ‘correct’ form of English
• ‘Incorrect’ use of language refers to derivation from SE

Question 5

Define Received Pronunciation

Answer 5

Accent that is spoken by the royal family, in London, in South East England, and the media

Question 6

Features of RP

Answer 6

• Non-rhotic
• Long vowel (grahss)
• Hard T

Question 7

What types of RP are there?

Answer 7

• Conservative (older gen.)
• Mainstream (neutral - does not give away social class, age or job, common for media such as the news)
• Contemporary (younder gen, has more colloquial terms and similar to Estuary English)

Question 8

Define Estuary English

Answer 8

Accent that mixes non-regional and local South Eastern pronunciation and intonation - a classless accent (this may lead to dialect levelling via social aspiration)

Question 9

What are some features of EE?

Answer 9

• Avoids grammatically non-standard features e.g. double negatives, past tense forms like ‘writ’ for wrote (uses standard grammar)
• Glottal stops
• L-vocalisation ‘fiw’ for ‘phil’

Question 10

Why + when has EE developed?

Answer 10

• Rosewarne claims people correct their speech for social aspiration
• Kerswill claims EE is not a recent variety, but that its geographical spread accelerated in the 1990s