Variation in English free essay sample

English like any other language, like every language, is subject to variation. This variation can be complex and at times subtle. This text provides us with information about the principal ways in which British and Irish English speech varies and, just as importantly, the non-linguistic (social, geographical) factors which condition variation. Variation in pronunciation RP Dialect: refers to the varieties distinguished from each other by differences of grammar and vocabulary. Accent: on the other hand, refers to variations in pronunciation. RP stands for â€Å"received pronunciation†. Received here is understood in its nineteeth-century sense of accepted in the most polite circles of society. RP remained the accent of those in the upper reaches of the social scale, as measured by education, income and profession, or title. It has traditionally been the accent of those educated at public schools. It is not the accent of any particular region. It enjoys the highest prestige in England. We will write a custom essay sample on Variation in English or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is estimated that only about 3 to 5 percent of the population of England speak RP. Since it is clearly a minority accent, why then, is it the only British accent taught to foreign learners? Social prestige; RP is often associated with high social status, wealth and power of its speakers. It is often considered the best, the clearest, and even the most beautiful accent. Because of its use on radio and television within Britain RP has become probably the most widely understood of all accents. Moreover, it is by far the most thoroughly described of British accents. Language change Accents change with time. In RP, for example, there has for some considerable time been a tendency, through a process known by linguists as smoothing, for certain triphthongs and diphthongs to become monophthongs. There is not a perfect correlation between age and pronunciation. Some RP speakers will regard the distinguishing features of the advanced variety of the accent as â€Å"affected† and will not alter their own speech, at least not until these features become more general with the passage of time. Other RP speakers will be only too ready to integrate them into their own speech. As there are early or conservative adopters, it would be misleading to say there is only one, fixed form of the accent, since at any stage the accent will be a mixture of traditional and innovative features. The long-standing association of RP with affection, social snobbery, aloofness, and so on, is increasingly out of keeping with the kind of image many of the accent’s younger speakers would wish to project of themselves. This trend can be noticed in the influence of non-standard and foreign accents and dialects, along with a general deterioration in other modes of behaviour (dress, manner, respect for elders) and a perceived rise of sloppiness in pronunciation and disregard for proper grammar. The decline of RP and standard English can be reflected in the rise of a new variety first dubbed â€Å"Estuary English† by Rosewarne (1984) The usual definition of Estuary English is an amalgam of RP and working-class London speech (Cockney). This seemed to be a neutral variety which provided the opportunity for lower-class speakers to appear higher status than they are, and for middle-and upper-class speakers to appear lower status than they are. A particular salient, widely discussed and often heavily stigmatized Estuary form is glottal stop / / as a pronunciation of / t /in certain contexts. Another example of a feature entering modern RP which probably has its origins in a non-standard accent is the (w)-like labio dental approximant (v)as a pronunciation of / / that appears to be spreading fairly fast in British English. Another example of a change is at a relatively early stage in its progress is the so-called High-rising, the high rise terminal (HRT), Australian question intonation (AQI)or uptalk. This phenomenon is often defined as the use, in statements, of the rising intonation pattern normally associated with questions. Some people interpret high-rising tone as an indication of general uncertainty and lack of confidence on the part of the young people who use it. These people have also attributed this influence to Australian and New Zealand English, both of which share this property. This suggestion has been raised because it has become so common for young British school leavers to travel independently overseas on the backpacking trail, often for extended periods. The use of high-rising may have come to act as a badge of well-travelled or wordly status. In tandem with its association with the appealing stereotype of Australians, and New Zealanders as relaxed, friendly, open, sporty, fun-loving, etc. The claim that the use of HRT patterns indicates uncertainty is also probably untenable, given that such patterns may be used when giving information about which the speaker cannot have any doubt (name, personal information, etc. ) Stylistic variation It is the variation conditioned by speakers? perceptions of the situation in which they are speaking. There is variation among RP speakers and in the pronunciation of individual speakers.