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L6 English Language > Language and Region > Flashcards

Language and Region Flashcards

1
Q

What is accent?

A

The way we pronounce words

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2
Q

What is dialect?

A

The words and grammar that we use

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3
Q

Regional dialects are specific to a L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in the country.

A

location

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4
Q

What is the non-regional dialect in the UK?

A

Standard English

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5
Q

In the Manchester dialect, one might say ‘chuddy’ to mean?

A

Chewing gum

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6
Q

In Manchester, someone might use the term ‘pants’ to mean _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A

trousers

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7
Q

What is the name of the theorist who looked at ‘dialect levelling’?

A

Paul Kerswill

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8
Q

Paul Kerswill observed that regional varieties of English are d _ _ _ _ o _ _

A

dying out

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9
Q

Kerswill states that increasing geographical mobility results in greater dialect c _ _ _ _ _ _ between speakers from different regions and so more pressure to use Standard English.

A

Contact

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10
Q

Because increasing social mobility means that tight-knit working-class communities are breaking down, there is less pressure to speak in a r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ form.

A

regional

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11
Q

Milroy and MIlroy found that because people are moving out of their local area for work, dialect levelling is reducing what?

A

Regional dialect variation

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12
Q

Milroy and Milroy argued that Britain is an increasingly socially M _ _ _ _ _ society

A

mobile

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13
Q

Did Milroy and Milroy argue that there is now more pressure to use standard or non standard forms?

A

Standard forms.

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14
Q

Cheshire studied a _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ group of teenagers whom she met in an adventure playground in Reading.

A

mixed-sex

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15
Q

The subjects of Cheshire’s Reading Study were all truanting from school and shared a distinctive form of dressing that marked them out from which culture?

A

mainstream culture

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16
Q

Cheshire recorded the speech and identified how many non-standard features?

A

11

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17
Q

Cheshire also measured the F _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of these 11 non-standard features

A

frequency

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18
Q

Cheshire found that the subjects in her study said: “They calls me names.” This is an example of what?

A

non-standard ‘s’ inflection

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19
Q

Cheshire found that the subjects in her study said: “You ain’t no boss.” - This is an example of what?

A

Multiple negation

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20
Q

Cheshire found that which gender used 10 of the 11 features more?

A

Boys

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21
Q

Cheshire also discovered that some features (e.g. non-standard ‘s’) were very closely linked to _ _ _ _ _ _

A

status

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22
Q

Cheshire study revealed that there is a link between C _ _ _ _ _ prestige and some non-standard features.

A

covert

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23
Q

A Matched Guise experiment is an attempt to identify attitudes to and prejudices about A _ _ _ _ _ _

A

accents

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24
Q

What is the name of the theorist who conducted the Matched Guise Experiement?

A

Howard Giles

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25
Q

Giles performed a matched guise experiment with an actor using which two accents?

A

RP and Birmingham accent

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26
Q

In the Matched Guise Experiment, which speaker was more likely to be considered guilty?

A

The Birmingham speaker was significantly more likely to be considered guilty.

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27
Q

What is the difference between accent and dialect?

A

Accent refers only to pronunciation. Dialect refers to grammar, lexis and pronunciation.

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28
Q

What is Received Pronunciation (RP)?

A

RP is an accent that was historically considered the “educated pronunciation of the metropolis, of the court, the pulpit and the bar” and associated with British public schools and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

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29
Q

How did the BBC influence the use of RP?

A

The BBC selected RP as its broadcasting standard in 1922, which contributed to the perception of it as a prestigious accent and potentially contributed to negative perceptions of regional varieties of English.

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30
Q

Give an example of an RP phonetic feature regarding the pronunciation of ‘h’ sounds.

A

In RP, the ‘h’ sound is pronounced at the beginning of words, as in “happy” /ˈhæpi/, unlike some other British accents.

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31
Q

What is the ‘trap-bath split’ in RP?

A

The ‘trap-bath split’ refers to the lengthening of the short ‘a’ vowel before some fricative or nasal consonants, so ‘trap’ has a short ‘a’ /træp/, while ‘bath’ has a long ‘a’ /bɑːθ/.

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32
Q

How common is RP in the UK?

A

RP is spoken by a small minority of the population, estimated at around 2–3% in the early 21st century.

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33
Q

What is Standard English (SE), according to David Crystal?

A

SE is a minority variety of English, identified by its vocabulary, grammar, and orthography, that carries the most prestige and is widely understood.

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34
Q

Where is SE most commonly used?

A

SE is used most commonly in writing, particularly in formal letters, reports, newspaper articles, and school essays.

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35
Q

Linguistically, is Standard English more correct than non-standard English?

A

No, no variety of English is inherently “more correct”; it is more about appropriateness to a given context.

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36
Q

What is a common misconception about Standard English and RP?

A

That they are the same thing.

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37
Q

What is ‘code-switching’?

A

Code-switching is the ability to alternate between different forms of language depending on the context.

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38
Q

What did Lord Digby Jones criticize Alex Scott for?

A

Lord Digby Jones criticised Alex Scott’s pronunciation, claiming she needed “elocution lessons” because she was not pronouncing the ‘g’ in words ending with ‘ing’.

39
Q

What was the linguistic issue with Lord Digby Jones’ criticism of Alex Scott?

A

Linguistically, it’s incorrect to say she was “dropping a g,” because the /ŋ/ sound in words ending in ‘-ing’ does not have a ‘g’ sound to drop.

40
Q

What is meant by linguistic capital?

A

Linguistic capital refers to the idea that some languages, dialects, or accents are considered more valuable than others, impacting social class and prestige.

41
Q

According to the UK National Curriculum, how should pupils speak?

A

Pupils should be taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English.

42
Q

What is a negative effect of the educational policy to promote Standard English?

A

It can lead to discrimination against speakers of regional accents and dialects.

43
Q

What is a positive argument for teaching SE in schools?

A

Teaching SE helps students develop proficiency, which can improve their academic performance and provide access to a wider range of opportunities.

44
Q

What does Ian Cushing argue against in schools?

A

Ian Cushing argues against the “policing and ‘correction’ of non-standard spoken grammar” in schools.

45
Q

According to Ian Cushing, what should the focus be when teaching Standard English?

A

The focus should be on developing awareness of where SE is appropriate, and adding to a student’s grammatical repertoire rather than replacing it.

46
Q

What does David Crystal mean by tridialectalism?

A

David Crystal suggests that people will move comfortably between three dialects: regional dialect at home, Standard English for travel within Britain, and World Standard English when traveling internationally.

47
Q

What is meant by conversationalisation in linguistics?

A

Conversationalisation refers to the shifting boundaries between written and spoken discourse and the rising prestige of spoken language.

48
Q

What is meant by regional variation in language?

A

Regional variation refers to the differences in language use that occur between different geographical areas, including variations in accent and dialect.

49
Q

What is meant by lexical variation in dialect?

A

Lexical variation refers to the use of different words for the same thing in different regions.

50
Q

What is meant by grammatical variation in dialect?

A

Grammatical variation refers to the use of different grammatical constructions in different regions.

51
Q

L-vocalization, pronouncing the ‘l’ sound almost like a ‘w’ as in “milk bottle” becoming “miwk bottoo” is a phonetic characteristic of which regional dialect.

A

Estuary English

52
Q

What is meant by glottalling?

A

Glottalling is using a glottal stop [ʔ] instead of a ‘t’ sound in certain positions as in “take it off” becoming “take i’ off”.

53
Q

Give an example of a grammatical feature of Mancunian English.

A

In Mancunian English, the past tense of ‘to be’ often becomes ‘were’ across all forms, such as “I were” instead of “I was”.

54
Q

What is dialect levelling?

A

Dialect levelling is the process of standardisation of dialect, where traditional rural dialects are dying out and more complex urban varieties are on the rise.

55
Q

What are some of the reasons for dialect levelling?

A

Reasons include migration, ease of travel, globalised media, and higher education.

56
Q

Who devised accommodation theory?

A

Giles

57
Q

What is meant by accommodation theory?

A

Accommodation theory explains how people change their communication style depending on who they are speaking to. It includes convergence and divergence.

58
Q

What is convergence?

A

Convergence is when someone changes their communication style to sound more like the person they are speaking to, often to seek approval.

59
Q

What is divergence?

A

Divergence is when someone changes their communication style to emphasise their difference from the person they are speaking to.

60
Q

According to many linguists, why are accents and dialects important?

A

Accents and dialects are an important part of a person’s identity and a marker of geographical or social belonging.

61
Q

What did Peter Trudgill study in his Norwich study?

A

Peter Trudgill studied the use of the final consonant in words like ‘walking’, looking at the variation between ‘-ng’ and ‘-n’.

62
Q

What did William Labov study in his Martha’s Vineyard study?

A

Labov studied the /au/ and /ai/ vowel sounds, called diphthongs, in words like ‘mouse’ and ‘mice’.

63
Q

What did Labov find in his Martha’s Vineyard study?

A

Labov found that fishermen centralised diphthongs more than other groups, and that this was done to establish themselves as a distinct social group.

64
Q

What was Basil Bernstein’s theory about language and social class?

A

Bernstein’s theory proposed that social class can impact linguistic use and that a person’s linguistic use can affect their academic performance. He distinguished between restricted and elaborated codes.

65
Q

Who did Bernstein claim could only use the restricted code?

A

Working classes

66
Q

What are some of the differences between restricted and elaborated codes?

A

Elaborated code uses more complex syntax, logical connectives, and explicit reference. Restricted code uses simpler syntax, and more implicit reference, and is more focused on conveying feelings.

67
Q

What is the matched guise technique?

A

The matched guise technique involves one speaker using different accents, to measure attitudes towards the accents.

68
Q

What is accentism?

A

Accentism is the term that describes discriminatory or unfair behaviour centred on someone’s accent or language use.

69
Q

What are the potential consequences of having your accent judged negatively?

A

Potential consequences include stereotyping, discrimination, and limited employment opportunities.

70
Q

What did Dixon, Mahoney and Cocks’ study reveal?

A

Dixon, Mahoney and Cocks (2002) found that people with a Birmingham accent were more likely to be perceived as guilty of a crime compared to a speaker using a standard accent.

71
Q

What is meant by the term World Englishes?

A

World Englishes refers to the different varieties of English spoken around the world.

72
Q

What is meant by the term diaspora in the context of language?

A

Diaspora in this context refers to the dispersal or spreading of English from a central point, mainly the British Isles, to other parts of the world.

73
Q

What is the difference between L1 and L2 in the context of language learning?

A

L1 is a person’s first or native language, while L2 is a second language learned to meet a communicative need and given a special status in a country.

74
Q

What does EFL stand for and what does it mean?

A

EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language, where English is taught as an additional language with no ‘special’ status.

75
Q

What does ELF stand for and what does it mean?

A

ELF stands for English as a Lingua Franca, which is a language two people with different native languages use to communicate.

76
Q

What is Globish?

A

Globish is a simplified version of Anglo-American English used as a worldwide lingua franca.

77
Q

What were the primary drivers for English becoming a dominant global language?

A

The primary drivers were the power of the British Empire and the cultural, technological, economic and political power of the USA.

78
Q

What is the difference between a pidgin and a creole language?

A

A pidgin is a simplified language used for communication between people who do not share a common language and has no native speakers, while a creole is a pidgin that has expanded in structure and vocabulary, developing native speakers.

79
Q

What are the five stages of Schneider’s Dynamic Model?

A

The five stages are: Foundation, Exonormative Stabilisation, Nativisation, Endonormative Stabilisation, and Differentiation.

80
Q

What is Schneider’s Dynamic Model of post-colonial Englishes?

A

Schneider’s Dynamic Model outlines the stages of how a new variety of English develops, from its introduction to a new territory to the establishment of a new linguistic norm and differentiation.

81
Q

What are the three circles in Kachru’s model of World Englishes?

A

The three circles are the Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Expanding Circle.

82
Q

What is the Inner Circle in Kachru’s model?

A

The Inner Circle includes countries where English is spoken as a first (native) language, such as the UK and USA.

83
Q

What is the Outer Circle in Kachru’s model?

A

The Outer Circle includes countries where English is used as a second language (L2), such as India and Singapore.

84
Q

What is the Expanding Circle in Kachru’s model?

A

The Expanding Circle includes countries where English is used as a lingua franca for practical purposes, such as business, politics, and education.

85
Q

What is one of the key differences in phonology between Indian English and British English?

A

Indian English is syllable-timed rather than stress-timed, and it has little distinction between /v/, /w/ and /b/.

86
Q

How does McArthur’s Wheel Model represent World Englishes?

A

McArthur’s wheel model divides varieties geographically into sections, connecting them linearly back to a central hub, suggesting a need for a standard without specifying where it should come from.

87
Q

What is linguistic imperialism?

A

Linguistic imperialism is the imposition of one language on speakers of other languages.

88
Q

What is linguicism?

A

Linguicism is discrimination based on language or dialect.

89
Q

What is linguicide?

A

Linguicide is the death of a language, either naturally or from political causes.

90
Q

What is ‘Singlish’?

A

‘Singlish’ is a local variety of English spoken in Singapore, often seen as slang or ‘broken’ English by the government.

91
Q

What is the official view of the Singaporean government on Singlish?

A

The Singaporean government views Singlish as a form of slang or “broken” English that could negatively impact the country’s position in international trade.

92
Q

Why do some people in Singapore see the use of Singlish as important?

A

For some, speaking Singlish carries strong connotations of national pride and identity.

93
Q

What did the Singaporean government initiate in response to the increasing use of Singlish?

A

The government initiated the “Speak Good English Movement” to discourage the use of Singlish and promote Standard English.

94
Q

Why did the “Speak Good English Movement” fail to eradicate Singlish?

A

The “Speak Good English Movement” failed because Singlish is deeply rooted in Singaporean identity, and people continue to use it in their daily lives despite the government’s efforts.

L6 English Language (2 decks)

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