Regional Accents and Dialects

A copy of my A2 intervention task, there is reference to a photograph and picture of a graph omitted as I could not get the formatting to work properly.

Well I very much doubt anyone actually reads my blog, it must seem dull to those who do not have an interest in the English language, but I shall continue undaunted.  I know now that dialects refer to grammatical and syntactic variations away from Standard English and that our accents are how words are pronounced and vary against Received Pronunciation and I think that this may be a good starting point for this particular blog.

There have been many studies into the effects of accents and dialects and how they are perceived. Well as I am writing this blog to help me study English language I think I should put in some cold hard facts.  Dull? Not really.  Many of these studies have found that accents can be linked not only with the area in which we spent our formative years, but also define something about us culturally and socially.  A study by Jenny Cheshire conducted in Reading found that groups of youngsters used their language to set them apart from others, but it also enabled them to fit into particular social groups.  The peer group’s culture and values were key in certain language patterns, if an individual’s language did not fit in then neither did they.  This is reflected in many dialects created by youths, using slang and non-standard grammar ‘innit’, but it is not just the younger generations that do this.  In William Labov’s study of the accent variables in Martha’s Vineyard in the States, he found that the older generations adapted their dialect and accents to ‘fit in’ with those of the local fishermen.  By doing this they created a dialect that symbolised their ‘belonging’ to the Vineyard as opposed to the thousands of visitors who descend on the island each year.  This need for social identity can be seen as part of the ‘match concept and theory’, as changes can occur rapidly, perhaps due to an environmental factor, as seen on Martha’s Vineyard where the influx of visitors fuelled the local population’s desire to present themselves as belonging to that location.  This functional theory, meaning that the change occurs due to the needs of the users, as mentioned regarding the Martha’s Vineyard study by Labov, leads to the ‘s-curve’ being created.  This refers to the pace at which the change occurs, at first quite slowly, then picking up speed and the slowing, but this can then repeat itself, as per Chen’s theory (1968).    Another theory, the ‘wave model’ is based on Bailey’s idea (1973) that if there is a particular grammatical, lexical or semantic change that occurs within a language, accent or dialect, this can spread out from this area and into general language, much like the shock waves from the epicentre of an earthquake.  This theory states that the further away from the ‘centre’ of these changes either socially or geographically an individual is, the less likelihood there is of a significant impact on their language.  Again much like an earthquake, the further away you are from the epicentre the less vibration you feel.  This is why the multicultural youth dialects of London have little effect on the middle class dialects of Edinburgh, they are separated not only by distance but by social boundaries as well.

By some sort of ‘divine intervention’ I found an interesting article in The Telegraph.  Apparently the BBC researched the popularity of regional dialects and accents in their programming.  ‘Auntie’ then discovered a high proportion of viewers who dislike presenters with regional accents, as they apparently find them difficult to understand. WHAT!?!  Some of this debate centres round Professor Brian Cox (the chap in the picture), who presents the BBC2 Science programme ‘Wonders of the Universe’.  The good professor is a Lancashire boy and proud of his accent and he has been tweeting his defiance at those who think his accent detracts from his ability to present the show. “decided t'tweet in mi real accent, like. think it'll mek mi easier t'understand for all't blokes who comment on't telegraph website”.  As a result of the study there are a few who believe the Beeb should return to Received Pronunciation for the presentation of factual programmes. Oh please!!  Why not hand over all programming to the B.N.P. while you’re at it!! 

Britain is a multicultural society and we need to acknowledge that there are language variations in different parts of the country.  Generally the accents and dialects used on British television is not representative of the diversity that exists within our society, there are very few presenters from ethnic minorities as it is, so the use of regional accents at least presents a broader view than R.P. The debate about regional accents and dialects in television programming has been rumbling along for more than thirty years now, since news readers started to be more representative of the areas in which regional broadcasting occurs, and then moved across to the mainstream BBC News.   It would naturally be expected that BBC North West employs presenters with Cumbrian and Lancashire accents, just as BBC South has presenters with Home Counties and Estuary accents. The same is true of the independent broadcasters too for regional programming, so why all the fuss with national television.  Millions watch the three main soap operas, Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale, and these all feature regional dialects and accents, yet there are few complaints, except perhaps about the acting!!  We cannot really believe that a return to R.P. in programming would serve any useful purpose and the likelihood of hearing Becky MacDonald sounding like a Jane Austen heroine would detract from the ‘realism’ that these soaps claim to portray.

So if we can accept the regional dialects in soap operas, why is it that presenters of factual programmes are deemed almost inferior if they have retained the accent they grew up with?   Ant and Dec have been ‘poster boys’ for regional accents over the last decade and now it seems that we no longer notice the ‘Geordie’ accents, which have now been softened, presumably for the benefit of us southerners!  It seems that we can be snobs about certain accents and dialects within this country.  Depending on where you have grown up you are likely to have preconceived ideas about people with particular accents.  If you are from the south, people with strong Yorkshire or Lancashire accents are perceived to be a little slow, perhaps uneducated.  Professor Cox is testament that this is not the case.  People in the north might perceive people from the south with a strong Sussex or Surrey accent as being stuck up and ignorant due to the close links these accents have to Received Pronunciation.  Simon Cowell would fit into this stereotype nicely; however, Jo Brand would not and both are from Sussex.  

So what can I conclude?  Well it seems to me that a need for cultural identity is being expressed by those who think that the regional accents of television presenters are detrimental to programming.  However, I do not believe that it is prejudice or racism that guides these views, just the need to feel included, in that the programme can appeal to anyone of any social, ethnic or class background if they have an interest in the subject matter.  But where does that leave the Professor? (Well he is the first to admit that he has a proper job, working in Cern, Switzerland with the Large Hadron Collider trying to make black holes!)  Brian Cox is a wonderful example of how your accent and dialect do not have to define who you are, or your place in society.  It is the inclusion of presenters with regional accents and using dialects that shows that we live in a diverse society, where anything is possible.  Therefore, we should not let the Beeb return to the old days of Received Pronunciation, we must move forward and celebrate our diversity of language, and for those who do not like it, please turn down the sound and switch on the subtitles.