P2 Section A (Accent and Dialect) Flashcards
what is accent
accent is the way a particular group pronounces words
what is dialect
dialect is the lexis used by a particular group
what is received pronunciation
received pronunciation is absence of an accent, the standard way people should speak.
what is standard english
standard english is the correct and formal form of the english language
covert prestige
covert prestige is the value and respect attached to non-standard variations of english e.g. yorkshire accent is respected for being hardworking and friendly.
overt prestige
overt prestige is value and respect attached to a largely used, general language
what is the most dateable accent study and its findings
the most dateable accent study was a study with 11,000 people in 12 cities asked what was the most dateable accent other than there own and the findings were that 27% of people voted british and 10th was american (8.7%)
call centre attitudes to accent
call centre employees hear accents and have initial views on the person, to stop this, call centres are based in regions of the accent so there is no preconceived values attached to a customer
What do sociolinguists say Hillary Clinton does and why does Deborah Tannen say it is done?
Sociolinguists say Hillary Clinton is subconsciously switching between her Chicago accent to a more Southern one which Deborah Tannen says everybody does as a sign of “acceptance and instinctive accommodation”
children’s speech tape recording study
children aged 11-15 in four English regions were examined for their speech on a tape recorder and found children refused to speak standard english/RP as they think it’s used for dominance, so choose their regional accent instead.
what did Professor Hudson say needs to be done in order to make children speak standard english (tape recorder study)?
Professor Hudson said in order to make children to speak standard English “mere exposure is not sufficient, and that some kind of direct teaching or encouragement is needed”
Features of the Cornish accent
The cornish accent features rhoticity - where speakers pronounce the “r” sound after vowels in words like better, hard and first.
what did linguistics expert Dr Lucy Ellis tell Cornwall Live about the change in cornish accent!
Linguistics expert, Dr Lucy Ellis, told Cornwall Live that the rhotic “r” is slowly dying as social migration and changing generations.
what is accent and dialect levelling
accent and dialect levelling is a process whereby dialects and accents become more similar due to migration and social desirability
what is Peter Trudgill’s Norwich study
Peter Trudgill’s Norwich study is a study of whether different class and gender pronounced words with “-ing” suffix differently - in Norwich.
Peter Trudgills Norwich Study Findings
Peter Trudgills findings included working and lower middle classes using the “-in” pronunciation. Men over-reported their use of non standard “in”, assuming they used more covert prestige forms. Women over-reported standard usage, assuming they used more overt prestige forms.
Peter Trudgill’s explanation for the Norwich study findings
Peter Trudgill explained his Norwich study findings by saying that women are more “status-conscious”, and men are valued on their occupation rather than their language. Trudgill also explained norwich findings by saying non-standard forms have a covert prestige particularly among male working classes.
What is Mary Talbots criticism of Peter Trudgill’s Norwich Study
Mary Talbot criticism of Peter Trudgill’s Norwich study is that Trudgill presents male as the norm, meaning it is arbitrary and biased and Trudgill’s interviews were done by middle class males which is an “unequal encounter” so could affect the language used due to social desirability bias.
Jenny Cheshire’s 1982 Reading Study
Jenny Cheshire Reading Study used 8 month observation to identify the use of 11 non-standard features in girls and boys and found children who approved of criminal activities used non-standard forms often, boys more so and children who disapproved used far less non-standard forms
What does individual identity include
individual identity includes gender, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality and class.
How is identity acquired?
identity is acquired by being ascribed (like first language and sexuality) and achieved (like a work role or relationship status).
what is nationality
nationality is the legal identification of a persons belonging to a nation
what was the believed connection between language and race?
there was a belief that language and race were inherently connected - certain races spoke different languages, but any human can speak any language
how are some ethnic groups expected to be?
some ethnic groups are expected to speak in the same accent and use the same dialect in order to be accepted.
