How the “Queen's English” has Shaped Our Society
As Britain remains as a society highly influenced by cultural practices, received pronunciation, the “Queen's English”, is no exception to this pattern. There is no doubt as to the effect it has had on daily life, ranging from a renowned British Broadcasting Company to the traditionalist Buckingham palace. Social positioning and stereotypes, are all products of language usage and the result of having it be standardized.
Some would be curious in terms of what singularities the pronunciation could have, and others in regards to who uses it currently. Maintaining a traditional grammatical structure, and a lack of potential alterations to the approved or standardized language, received pronunciation
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The popularity of the accent, is rather low in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as some of these have a local variation to English. The decrease of its speakers in recent years is notorious and so is the loss of supporters within England.
The prestige of the accent develops as it was uniformly used by the major entities of the United Kingdom, a broadcasting company, the royal family, and the main university of the country.
Whether Oxford University has developed a global recognition or British approval, it is a highly respected institution due to both its education and research, therefore a factor in the development of a standardized version of English. Indeed, the elite or those with advanced academic honors, were those accepted to studying in the university because of it being a high-ranked school, which subsequently raised their status and prestige due to language as well.
As seen, a detail such as conversational aspects that have participated in the process of establishing a reputation, have a subsequent effect on the population, the notion of what is correct, and a model to be followed within a society. Language serves as that who enforces the mechanism and the practices adopted by a
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Moreover, the topics discussed acquire credibility as well if having a culturally accepted pronunciation.
The question however, refers to whether or not the effect of the particular pronunciation has had a sustained effect on the British Society. The concept of cultural hegemony reflects the situation as social norms transcend from the hierarchy in regards to social classes, therefore having the aristocracy as the sole model for language. As a result, both pronunciation and grammar are established socially, by the elite.
The sentiment of a unified culture, again on an aspect regarding news, shows, or those who lead the country, are based on the principle of that same hegemony. These further reach other sectors of the globe, to set an example in regards to the image England, and the United Kingdom on a general basis, project as a developed
‘Language is considered one of the most important means of initiating, synthesising and reinforcing ways of thinking, feeling and behaviour which are functionally related to the social group.’ (Bernstein, 1959). Hence, language plays a crucial role in life and society. This essay focuses on analysing a case study of Oliver from the BBC1 documentary 7 up to 2000. The key aspect examined in this article will be the subject’s language, accent and the range of his vocabulary.
In the article “Do You Speak American?,” Robert MacNeil is trying to reach the american public, especially those who do not have a complete understanding of the ongoing changes that are happening to the English that is spoken throughout the United States. He uses a multitude of examples to prove this very fact. For one he wants to inform the people that one reason for this change is that average people now have more influence in the way language is spoken.Which to him is a good thing. He enjoys the new evolution that American English has undertaken. He believes that it is a step in the right direction. Another, example he uses are the changes different regions and/or group of people have made on the English language. He uses the different accents and dialect to show the growth and improvement that occurred. Even though, some linguist view these changes as wrong, MacNeil views them as necessary and as something that is unique to the United States. In essence, a necessary growth that only makes the United States grow into a better country. Thus, making it more diverse.
United States of America, small in history but large in diversity continues to face new challenges with language as time continues to turn. In the documentary “Do You Speak American?” Robert MacNeil analyzes the English language and reveals many dialects that culturally defines us. Regional dialect is one of the many strongholds of all cultures and now it has reached its’ zenith and today it is slowly declining because it does not possess the human nature of advancement. Optimistically, it allows people to learn how to cooperate with each other. In order to advance and adopt a person has to change; I believe that the acceptance of cultural adaptations, diversity, and industrialization can prove that the decline of speech does not cause a decline of culture.
Language is what makes a culture; it is the base of a culture. Without a certain type of dialect or...
Language is a primary distinguisher of social groups, of regional variation, and of attitude towards others; as such, a speaker’s language use is an emblem of their social identity. Phonetic accommodation, i.e, when a speaker varies their pronunciation with respect to an interlocutor, is a tool by which speakers can minimize or emphasize linguistic difference. Through phonetic convergence, this can highlight a shared social identity, or, through phonetic divergence, can designate contrast between one identity and another. Some have suggested that phonetic accommodation is an automatic, inevitable process, surmising that identity is subsequent to it, and not its cause (Trudgill, 2008). However, I will present evidence towards the contrary,
Another difficulty cultures deal with is language and the way people speak. In some cases, people struggle to belong by making changes in the way they speak the English language just to be assimilated. They attempt to use words and letters, as well as body language that fit in the norm; all in an attempt to denounce their original intonation and style of pronunciation. One ...
Allan Bell’s theory of audience design argues that your speaking style varies according to the audience you are speaking to. Bell studied New Zealand newsreaders on various radio stations and discovered that more formal pronunciation was used on stations where the audience was known to consist of professional, educated people. Interestingly, some of the newsreaders worked on several stations and their pronunciation would change to suit the style of the station (p.301 course book). Bell examined the pronunciation of the letter /t/
Hegemony is a concept that involves uses of power. It was created by Antonio Gramsci in order to understand the difference between dominant groups in society that have power and that use “intellectual and moral leadership” in an attempt to win over the less powerful submissive groups (Storey 8). In this way, hegemony will be demonstrated in youth culture. Willard states that the cultural authority of the dominant society must be questioned as to its legitimacy in the dominant role as the authority plays an important role in its production (739). Talcott Parson (qtd. in Osgerby) says that youth in his view, established behaviours and values, often perceived by older generations as unique and different from the dominant society which spread among the youth to form what is now known as “Youth Culture” (109). Subculture groups were created within youth culture in order to express opinions and views, often political, which was reflected in their behaviour and what they wore (Osgerby 109). In this case main society remained a dominant power that youth try to rebel against, hence, the use of hegemony.
In a sociolinguist perspective “the idea of a spoken standardized language is a hypothetical construct” (Lippi-Green, 2012, pp. 57). They are the form of Britain English and American English that are used in textbooks and on broadcasting. Giles and Coupland observe that “A standard variety is the one that is most often associated with high socioeconomic status, power and media usage in a particular community” (1991, p. 38). Both native speakers and learners of English, where English is taught as a second or foreign language (hereafter ESL/EFL), speak dialect of English in everyday conversation (Kachru, 2006, pp. 10-11; Owens 2012, p.
For this essay I have chosen to argue the case against the sociocultural concept of Hegemony with reference to key thinkers in this field including Antonia Gramsci and Stuart Hall, using examples from Contemporary Western society and cultures. I would like to begin my essay by simply defining the term Hegemony. “Hegemony is the social, cultural, ideological, and economic influence used by a dominant group over another group in society.”(Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014) “It is applied cautiously rather than forcefully through cultural means and economic power.”(New York Times 2009) Hegemony for me is essentially the term used when powerful people use their influence to convince others in society to do what is in the more powerful people’s best interests. It depends upon the successful use of cultural and social institutions such as the media to shape the limits of economic and political freedom for citizens. In this essay I will outline and discuss how hegemony carries this out and with what effects. I will look specifically at the role hegemony plays in both the media and in politics.
This paper studies the differences between British English and American English, is divided into three chapters pronunciation, letters, culture and so on. These three characteristics are primarily to discuss the differences between the two. In addition, this study will also be in the USA now cultural, social phenomenon as the background, in-depth analysis of the differences between the two, to increase its readers understanding of both. Pronunciation: all around the world, English accents are different, but this is not a serious problem, as long as the general spends some time, probably can easily habits around the accent. Just think, even in the same country, the same language or pronunciation and tone may be different, like American of eastern and southern people speak English sounds are very different, so much more people from different countries? British English and American English have its significant difference, the pronunciation, the retroflex as an example, both British English or American English, when in the vowel before, the speaker will send a sound, but if appear after a vowel, British people generally don't send sound, but to speak American English people will be retroflex clearly.
The settlement of the British Isles by north Europeans followed by Norman French paints the backdrop to this essay which will focus on the period between the early 15th and 17th centuries, when a 'standard' English evolved. It will show that modern-day English is very different to that first introduced to the British Isles, but by identifying changes through time, its continuity can be demonstrated. Finally, it will suggest that present day English is in a position analogous to that which existed before the Norman invasion, when there were many varieties and dialects, and that this may lead to its decline as a global language, due to decreasing intelligibility.
It has led to the development of new dialects and modification of existing ones. The British Empire has been able to spread the language across the globe and to date it is the most widespread language and most used in foreign transactions. Currently, the population of non- native English speakers is higher than native English speakers. This is a clear indication that English has become an international language.
The development of the English language was a combination of cultural, political, social and religious events that each playing their own part shaping the modern English language spoken today as a first language by 400 million people . As Baugh and Cable convey to us in A History of the English Language; ‘It understates matters to say that political, economic, and social forces influence a language’. Although it cannot be identified exactly when the inhabitants of Britain began to speak English, there are some sources that give an insight into the nature of the forces that played a role in its foundation such as: the four medieval manuscripts;
"Varieties of English: American and British." Switched On Schoolhouse. CD-ROM Rock Rapids, Michigan Alpha Omega Publications 2008.