Models and myth: updating the (non)standard accents

Joanna Przedlacka

University of Warsaw

 

During the past decade British mass media seemed to indicate an emergence of a new accent variety (Estuary English) chiefly characterised by two phonetic tendencies, towards l-vocalisation and syllable non-initial t-glottaling. In popular perception this variety, democratic and modern, was hailed as a candidate for standard accent of modern Britain, which was allegedly to oust RP. The analysis of the speech of the young generation does not support these claims. Also, the RP accent is alive and well and still used in the British institutions such as Eton or Cambridge.

 

Importantly, though, the young RP speech reveals new, supra-regional features, which do not affect its status. The presence of those phonetic trends within RP and the non-standard speech cannot be equalled with the demise of RP or the appearance of a new variety. These and other features are reported to be on the increase in standard and non-standard accents.

 

Although linguistically EE is an artefact, the wide circulation of the term itself shows not only learners’ perceptions of (standard) accents but also the interest in and readiness to embrace variation and change within models presented to them. Thus besides constant updates of the material there seems to be a need for placing pronunciation teaching in the context of a wider sociolinguistic curriculum that introduces learners to social aspects of language and raises awareness.

 

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