Accent + Dialect

Use of symbols, letters and spellings which varies between individuals

Upspeak (rising intonation)
Vocal fry
Bath or barth
Strut-foot split
Definite article reduction
Rhoticity
L-vocalisation
th-fronting

- 1 variety of language is superior
- Rules define how language should be used
- Easier for non-Natives to learn
- Incorrect use lowers social status
- Main language in a number of countries

- It's okay as long as it's understandable
- Language is fluid and not static
- Removing sounds makes speech faster
- Easier to understand social contexts
- SE is and has always been minority language

Acquired by speakers who have command of a standard dialect that is socially defined as those speakers gaining social status within the wider community
Elite

Acquired by speakers desiring to belong and to be considered a member of a certain community

- Variety of English normally used in writing and is taught to non-natives
- Associated with education system
- Has nothing to do with pronunciation
- SE can be used in a regional and national accent

- Enables members of a community to understand each other
- Used in the interests of universal comprehensibility

Contemporary, mainstream and conservative

Accepted/approved

- Long /a:/ sound in bath, palm and start
- Never drop /h/ at start of words
- Small /j/ sound inserted before vowels (eg. news, tune, stupid)

South-east London
Became accepted standard over time
Used to distinguish class (London, Oxbridge and politics played a part in this)

Studies found...
- RP speakers deemed less favourable than regional accents (low in sincerity, good nature and humour)

No
There was no agreement over which pronunciations were 'correct'

1869 - A J Ellis

1922 - Lord Reith (1st general manager of BBC)

Non-standard language
Can be used in any class/society

Standard language
Geographically restricted

Historical differences (where groups settled)
Immigration/migration (Liverpool influenced by Ireland)

Location of boundary of a linguistic feature

Vowel has a single sound throughout
Sheep = /i:/

How a feature varies across accents

List of sounds used by an individual

Pronouncing / r / after vowels
Ha*r*veste*r*

Uses post-vocalic / r /

Closing of airways to stop sound
Butter = bu/?/er

/l/ in 'light' and 'cool' is different but shown the same in IPA

Groups of words which all have the same vowel sound
Ship, mist, visit

Introduced by Wells (1982)
Southern English pronounces the 2 sets differently but Northern English doesn't

/f/ or /v/ for 'th'
Three = /fri:/
Brother = bro*v*er

Languages from different areas converge and become more similar over time

Non-standard spelling to portray non-standard accents and dialects

Phonological abbreviation of 'the'
Unreleased 't' and a glottal stop
Yorkshire and neighbouring counties

Pronouncing 'l' at end of syllable with a vowel or /w/ sound
Cockney

Group of people engaged in a shared activity/practice, whose language is shaped by the activities they are mutually engaged in

Lave and Wegner
1991

Mutual engagement
Joint negotiated enterprise
Shared repertoire

Members of a CofP come together in a common, negotiated activity

CofP share common goals and work together to achieve them

CofP share same resources to communicate with each other
They may also have particular ways of doing things/speaking

Using one form of language and switching it to another form
Dialect or whole language may be switched

Moving between different levels of formality / register in 1 language