Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

ALEVEL English Lang AQA > 🌍• Language & Region: Key Jargon & Studies > Flashcards

🌍• Language & Region: Key Jargon & Studies Flashcards

1
Q

Dialect is the difference in ________ used

A

Dialect is the difference in words used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Accent is the difference in ________ used

A

Accent is the difference in sounds used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What factors make up your Idiolect?

A
  • Your accent (way you speak/ articulate words)
  • Your dialect (words you use)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What 3 factors were the main influences on the development of accents in the UK?

A
  • Migration/ Invasion
  • Social Classes
  • Music
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the goal for sombody using overt prestige? And are they more likely to diverge or converge from others around them?

A
  • Adapting language to seek power/ fit with dominant culture
  • More likely to diverge from others to seek dominance/ power
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the goal for sombody using covert prestige? And are they more likely to diverge or converge from others around them?

A
  • Adapting language to seek social acceptance/ to fit in
  • To seek belonging
  • More likely to converge towards others to appeal/ belong
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is code switching?

A

When a person actively uses two different languages or dialects within a sentence or switches between languages or dialects depending on who an individual is speaking to

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is accentism?

A

Discriminatory or unfair behaviour centred on someone’s accent or language use

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is orderly heterogeneity?

A

The idea that accent vairation is orderly, purposeful and structured, not random

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is social stratification?

A

The organisation of a society into groups based on socioeconmic factors such as wealth, gender, race, ethnicity, income, education, occupation, social status, or power. Its a heriarchy that places groups into different levels of privilege

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is Dialect levelling?

A

The process of accents becoming more similar mainly due to the modern dissipation of social segregation and an increase in contact between classes (therefore merging of langauge/ dialects)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Explain the two types of Dialect Levelling?

A
  • Geographical Shrinkage: when the area where people used a linguistic feature is now smaller
  • Quantitative Shrinkage: when the area where people used a lingusistic feature is the same but the fewer people use the features
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is geographical diffusion?

A

The spread of accent/ dialect features from one geographical location to another, with the features spreading from populous urban areas and reaching the larger cities/ towns before the smaller ones, regardless of physical proximity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does Diachronic mean?

A

That language change is random/ unstructured and will change slowly over time, bereft of purpose or reason

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is a quote (+who said it) that showcases the belief in the previous idea that language change was diachronic?

A

That language change has a ‘complete absence of any pattern’

Hubbell 1950 (Was belived until Labov in 1963)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does synchronic mean?

A

That language change occurs at one place at one time & has causation (e.g social stratification) and isnt random

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

s

What is the first main study for this unit?

A

The BBC Voice Poll

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What was the BBC Voice Poll?

A
  • The most significant survey of regional English ever undertaken around the UK
  • Survey that recorded convorsations of people talking about accent and dialect varation aroud the UK - including their attitudes to different types of accents/ dialects/ langauge
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

When was the BBC Voice Poll conducted & for how long did it last?

A
  • Conducted from 2004-2005
  • Lasted 9 months
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How many participants took part in the BBC Voice Poll?

A

5000 people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

In what environment and with what people was the BBC Voice Poll conducted?

A
  • Where possible all members knew eachother
  • From a wide range of social groups/ ethnic groups and age groups
  • People chosen with similar backgrounds - those that share interests or passions to promote the most mundane/ normal setting so they were comfortable with sharing correct opinions
  • Environments would have consisted of an area which represented ‘home turf’ for the group e.g. at local pub, living room or workplace
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What was observed/ measured/ recorded in the BBC Voice Poll?

A
  • Regional dialect/ conversation
  • Different peoples own opinions on accents & languages across Britain
  • ATTITUDES TOWARDS CELEBRITY VOICES
  • WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR VOICE?
  • ATTITUDES TOWARDS OTHER ACCENTS
  • ATTITUIDES TOWARDS LANGAUGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Who was voted the most pleasant voice & what was their accent?

CELEBRITY VOICES

A
  • Sean Connery
  • Edinburgh Accent
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Who was voted very highly on how pleasant their voice was & what was their accent?

CELEBRITY VOICES

A
  • Peirce Brosman (Mamma Mia)
  • Irish Accent (soft and gentle)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Who was voted the least pleasant voice & what was their accent?

CELEBRITY VOICES

A
  • Ian Paisley
  • Northern Irish Accent (Thick) (Derry Girls)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Respondants indicated a ________________ towards accents that were ________

CELEBRITY VOICES

A

Respondants indicated a preference towards accents that were local

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

BBC Voice Poll

How many participants wished occasionally that they had a different accent?

A

59%

28
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What is the most wished for accent?

A

Received Pronunciation (RP)

29
Q

BBC Voice Poll

In most regions voters considered ____________ accent to be prestigious and helpful for increased employability

A

In most regions voters considered their own accent to be prestigious and helpful for increased employability

30
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What affect did intoxication have on peoples accents?

A

It was mentioned throughout the survey that intoxication brings out a persons accent to make it much more prominant/ obvious/ amplifies it

31
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Many people voted ‘an accent identical do your own’ as one of their ____________ accents

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR VOICE

A

Many people voted ‘an accent identical do your own’ as one of their favourite accents

32
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What was the primary insecurity people expressed revolving around their accent?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR VOICE

A

That they were difficult to understand/ made them ‘reluctatnt to speak in meetings’

33
Q

What percentage of participants stated they enjoy hearing a wide variety of accents?

A

78%

34
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What 2 accounts were accents scored on?

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACCENTS

A
  • Prestige (How prestigious/ helpful career-wise)
  • Pleasantness
35
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What link was made between the 2 account accents were scored on?

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACCENTS

A

That they were closely linked e.g. If one was negative so was the other:
* Negatively rated pleasantness therefore commonly lead to negatively rated prestige
* Positively rated pleasantness therefore commonly lead to postitively rated prestige

36
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What was the accent rated the most pleasant and most prestigious?

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACCENTS

A

Edinburgh Accent

37
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What 3 accents were rated the least pleasant and least prestigious?

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACCENTS

A
  • ** Birmingham Accent**
  • Asian Accent
  • Liverpool Accent
38
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What were the 2 exceptions to the pattern between pleasantness and prestige? (+ explain)

ATTITUDES TOWARDS ACCENTS

A
  • London Accent - Was rated very prestigious but not so pleasant sounding
  • Newcastle Accent - Was rated very pleasant sounding but not so prestigious
39
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What percentage of participants in the poll voted that speaking more than one language is helpful in getting a good job in the UK?

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

A

56%

40
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What fraction of participants claimed that they hear a wider variety of accents nowadays than they used to?

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

A

⅔

41
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What percentage of participants voted that they dislike hearing other languages that are not English?

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

A

22%

42
Q

BBC Voice Poll

What percentage of respondants were multilingual?

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

A

84%

43
Q

BBC Voice Poll

Out of the multilingual respondants, what are their opinions on being able to speak another language alongside English? (+ what do they find it useful for)

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

A

The vast majority stated that they are very glad they can speak other languages alongiside English as they find it very useful for job applications

44
Q

What is MLE?

A

Multicultural** L**ondon English
Its a variation of English that is influenced by Jamaican and other non-white populations

45
Q

What is the second main study for this unit?

A

Howard Giles Matched Guise Study

46
Q

When was Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study Conducted?

A

1970, 54 years ago

47
Q

Why does the year in which Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study was conducted have to be taken into consideration?

A

Because langauge and social attitudes have changed since then

48
Q

What were the 3 parameters used to measure in Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study? (+ explain them)

A
  • Status - testing how powerful/ important speakers appeared (Prestige)
  • Personality - testing what traits of character came across
  • Persusasiveness - testing how beliveable the person seemed
49
Q

What was the process/ methodology of Howard Giles’
Matched Guise Study?

A

The Matched Guise Technique (MGT)

50
Q

What is the MGT (Matched Guise Technique)

A

A research method that indirectly measures people’s attitudes toward language varieties by having participants evaluate the voices of multiple speakers

51
Q

Explain the process of the MGT (Matched Guise Technique) In 3 main steps

A
  • Participants listen to multiple actors/ speakers reading the same text but in different accents/ linguistic varieties or guises
  • The participants are unaware that its the same speaker is reading mutliple in guises/ accents
  • Participants rate the speakers on the series of traits specifed for this particular experiment (Status, Personality & Persuasiveness)
52
Q

What are the 2 main limitations to Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study?

A
  • Is it really possible for one single speaker/ actor to preform mulitple accents/ guises convicingly?
  • Did participants already have their own view on the accent/ guise?
53
Q

Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study

What were the results for Status? (ranked 1-4)

A

Testing how important/ powerful speakers seemed to be
1. RP
2. National Accents e.g. Welsh/ Scottish/ Irish
3. Regional Rural Accents e.g. somerset/ cornish
4. Regional Urban Accents e.g. birmingham/ liverpool

54
Q

Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study

What were the results for Personality? (2 main rankings)

A
  • RP - seen as self-confident, intelligent and ambitious but also cold and ruthless (mainly negative)
  • Northern Accents - seen as honest, reliable, generous, warm and humorous (mainly positive)
55
Q

What is the main issue with ‘persuasiveness’ as a parameter?

A

People can seem persuasive because of social status or frendliness/ politness (status or personality) therefore deeming it less of an individual dimension and more difficult to directly measure the impact of

56
Q

Howard Giles’ Matched Guise Study

What were the results for Persuasiveness? (1 example)

A

Due to difficult and ambiguous nature results slim:
* One of the experiments the speech was on capital punishment (death penalty)
* When questionnare was relased a week later, only those participants who heard the regional guises/ accents appeared to have been persuaded by views proposed
Inferring that the regional accents were more belivable + therefore linking with personality, perhaps more appear more friendly hence more beliveability

57
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of RP?

A

Trap-Bath Split

58
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Cockney?

A

London Vowel Shift + Glottal Stopping of ‘t’

59
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Estuary English?

A

L-vocalisation + Glottal Stopping of ‘t’

60
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of West Country English?

A

Rhoticity

61
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Midlands English?

A

H-Dropping + Foot-Strut Merger

62
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Northern English?

A

Non-Rhoticity + Foot-Strut Merger

63
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Geordie?

A

Non-Rhoticity + Foot-Strut Merger

64
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Welsh English?

A

Prosody: Trilling of ‘r’ + Non-Rhoticity

65
Q

What is a key Phonological Feature of Scottish English?

A

Glottal Stopping of ‘t’ + Rhoticity + Trilling

ALEVEL English Lang AQA (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions