Influence of Social Class/Groups on how we speak: Cheshire

Question 1

When did Cheshire do her study?

Answer 1

1982

Question 2

Who was Cheshire studying?

Answer 2

Working Class Teenagers in Reading

Question 3

How many speech features was Cheshire looking for in the boys she was studying?

Answer 3

9 non-standard features

Question 4

How many months did she observe the boys and where?

Answer 4

She spent 8 months observing the boys who spent time at an adventure playground

Question 5

What were 3 norms of the social group?

Answer 5

Carrying Knives, Doing minor criminal activities, Being skilled at fighting

Question 6

List 4 of the 9 features Cheshire was looking for in the boys

Answer 6

Multiple negation, ‘Was’ as a plural, Past tense ‘come’, ‘Ain’t’ used for negative present tense

Question 7

What did Cheshire find was the biggest influence on the use of the non-standard Reading dialect features was?

Answer 7

The people in the social group with the most attatchment to the group used the features the most