Definition
 Accent
refers to a speaker's style of
pronunciation.
It
may signal the regional or social identity of the speaker.
Accent
does not refer to the content of what is said.
Examples
Class accent
Received
Pronunciation [RP] is an accent used by (for instance)
many BBC newsreaders and members of the Royal Family.
It
is based on social class, not on the geographic origins
of the speaker.
Regional Accent
A
Geordie accent is the regional speech style used by speakers
in the North East of England.
A
Cockney accent is the indigenous speech style used by
people in the London area.
'Book'
might be pronounced as 'Bewk' in northern England, but
'Back' in southern England.
Similarly,
the term 'car' might be pronounced as 'kaar' and 'caw'
in these two regions.
Use
Every
geographical area has its own characteristic and recognisable
accent which is used by a group.
Everybody
speaks with an accent. Those people who speak with received
pronunciation [RP] are merely using the accent of
prestige.
It
is quite common for a person to speak Standard
English with a regional accent.
Accent
is not the same thing as dialect.
The
term dialect refers to grammar and
vocabulary as
well as pronunciation. That is, it describes the content of
speech.
Fewer
than six percent [yes! - 6%] of the UK population speak Received
Pronunciation (RP). Perhaps this statistic is surprising
when we consider what prestige it has held historically
and currently.
RP
was once itself a regional accent - that of the East
Midlands. It acquired its status because East Midlands
speakers converged on London as it became a centre for
merchants. In other words, London became the power base
and the financial centre, and the East Midlands accent
became the spoken standard.
This
prestige accent developed alongside the regional accent
of the London area. The co-existence of these two accents
still exists today. The Cockney accent is spoken in the
East End of London by many original Londoners, whilst
RP is spoken by many politicians and by upper-class people
who live and work in the same area.
The
Cockney accent is a regional accent, and RP is class-based.
Many
regional speakers feel uncomfortable about their accent.
This perpetuates the deference and prestige given to
RP.
Recent
studies have shown that RP speakers will often be chosen
for jobs, despite the superior skills of regional-speaking
competitors.
Some
presenters on radio and television are employed even
though they have strong regional accents. However, they
tend to be used on programmes which are not very prestigious,
such as weather forecasts, arts programs, and regional
news bulletins.
Accent
can still be a very powerful indicator of status, and
it is often an emotive item in social interaction.
Speech
varies subtly between individuals using the same accent.
Because of this, a broad description is all that can
be achieved. This applies to the classification of other
accents too. |
