regional accents and dialects Flashcards
what is an accent
the way in which people in a particular area/country/social group pronounce words
what is a regional accent
a distinct form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area
what is a sociolect
the vocab/grammar used by a particular social group
what is recieved pronounciation (RP)
considered the standard way to speak in the UK (queens/oxford english) (accent)
what is standard english
the most wildly accepted form of english- useed in professional and business communication (dialect)
what is overt and covert prestige
overt= the high social value for formal language features
covert= high social value given to nonstandard language
prescriptivism
tell you what to do with your language- JUDGEMENTAL
descriptivism
describing the way people speak
what is an idiolect
unique to each person- different set of factors that contribute
what is linguicism
the unfair treatment of people or groups based on their language or dialect.
accomodation
adapting ones speech to make it more or less similar to that of other participants in conversation
convergence
a persons speech patterns become more individualised and less like those of the other person in the conversation
divergence
- making or speech less like someone elses, by hanging onto and exaggerating our individual traits such as fillers or accent features
- increases social distance
a dialectologist
investigate and describe the grammar of non-standard dialects
What is glottal stopping?
A replacement for /t/ that is heavily stigmatised in Britain.
Associated with uneducated working classes, yet it occurs in several accents/dialects like Cockney and Glaswegian.
What is Estuary English?
A variety of modified regional speech, mixing non-regional and local southeastern English pronunciation and intonation.
It is becoming the language of media and influence, leading to predictions that it may replace RP.
What does Giles’ accommodation theory propose?
When we talk to another person, we adapt our speech to accommodate them subconsciously.
What did Coupland’s 1982 study reveal about language variation?
A Cardiff shop assistant used more standard forms when talking to middle-class customers, indicating occupational influence on language choices.
What did Labov’s research on Martha’s Vineyard reveal?
Younger speakers used vowel centralisation to distinguish themselves from tourists, demonstrating covert prestige and social identity.
What is the significance of Labov’s methodological innovations?
They allowed the study of linguistic variation, showing that variation is systematic rather than random.
What did Giles’ matched guise experiment find about RP?
RP was perceived as having more status than other accents, rated highly for intelligence and ambition.
What was the outcome of the ITV survey regarding accents?
28% of Brits feel discriminated against because of the way they speak.
What is a double negative in non-standard dialects?
Using two negatives to express a single negative meaning, e.g., ‘I didn’t have no dinner’.
What is the significance of Trudgill’s research on non-standard dialects?
Describes grammatical differences between standard and non-standard dialects, showing they are not defective.
What does Coupland’s research indicate about sociolect features?
Sociolect features are more linked to socio-economic background than regional origins.
Fill in the blank: ‘Standard English’ is the dialect of ________ across Britain.
educated people
What attitudes did the Daily Mail report regarding black country accents in schools?
They have been banned as teachers claim they are ‘snobbish’ and ‘insulting’.
What did Jonnie Robinson state about dialects?
Dialect is far from being extinct; it is just changing and can establish shared roots and social bonds.
What is the outcome of a Comres survey regarding social stigma towards regional accents?
1/5 Brits admitted to being discriminated against because of the way they talk.
What is the concept of hierarchical geographical diffusion in language change?
Linguistic features spread from economically dominant urban centers to localities further away.
What did the BBC state about immigration’s impact on British language?
Immigration has contributed to the diversity of British language as rural dialects diminish.
True or False: RP is rated high in friendliness and humor.
False
RP is generally rated low in these aspects.
What is an example of regularising reflexive pronouns in non-standard dialects?
Using ‘theirselves’ instead of ‘themselves’.
What are some grammatical features found in non-standard dialects according to Hughes et al?
Multiple negation, past tense irregular verbs, present tense verb forms, relative pronouns.
Examples include ‘I didn’t have no dinner’ and ‘I likes it’.
covert prestige
when a non-standard dialect or language is valued within a speech community, usually by its own speakers
overt prestige
the social value and esteem that is given to a formal or standard variety of language. It is a sociolinguistic concept that is associated with power and status.
the prestige assigned to forms of language that are widely considered “correct”
