Region

Question 1

Define accent.

Answer 1

The different ways of pronouncing a word, depending on where you are from.

Question 2

Define dialect

Answer 2

Word or grammar associated with a particular geographical region.

Question 3

Giles: Capital Punishment experiment

Answer 3

-Presented 5 groups of students with identical sets of arguments against capital punishment (1 printed and 4 oral).
-4 oral = RP, Somerset, South Welsh and Birmingham.
- RP was seen as most impressive.
-Brummy = Least impressive.
- Regional was seen as more persuasive than RP.

Question 4

Estuary English

Answer 4

-Continuum from Cokney to RP.
-Oxford, Cambridge and London Triangle but spreading to Kent and Essex.

Question 5

Features of Estuary English

Answer 5

Glottal Stop - replacing /t/ at end of word or before a constant (Gatwick Airport)
Omission of “ly” adverbial ending - “your driving too slow”

Question 6

CAT Theory: Giles

Answer 6

Looks at links between language, context and identity.
Includes convergence and divergence.

Question 7

Convergence

Answer 7

Individuals adapt to each others communicative behaviours to reduce social differences.

Question 8

Divergence

Answer 8

Individuals accentuate the speech and non verbal differences between themselves and others to increase social difference.

Question 9

Dixon, Mahoney and Cocks

Answer 9

Investigated if there was a correlation between accent and perceived guilt.
Listened to dialogue between suspect and police man (suspect was either standard English or Birmingham accent).
Perceived significantly more guilty with non standard Birmingham accent.

Question 10

North/ South divide

Answer 10

In south “bath” is pronounced “Barth” with a long “a” sound.
In the north it’s pronounced like “cash” with a short “a” sound.