Class and Responsibility
Inhaltsverzeichnis |
Class in Britain
Class and Language
Language Samples
- RP Received Pronunciation, University education
- The Queen's English
- "The Prince's English"
- Estuary English
- East London Soundboard
- London Accent 1
- London Accent 2
RP or Oxford English
A pronunciation of British English, originally based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England and characteristic of the English spoken at the public schools and at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Until recently it was the standard form of English used in British broadcasting.
About two percent of Britons speak with the RP accent in its purest form. Researchers generally distinguish between three different forms of RP: Conservative, General, and Advanced. Conservative RP refers to a traditional accent associated with older speakers with certain social backgrounds; General RP is often considered neutral regarding age, occupation, or lifestyle of the speaker; and Advanced RP refers to speech of a younger generation of British speakers. - Received_Pronunciation
sound examples and spelling alternatives
Estuary English
- estuary:
- ger.: die Mündung, das Mündungsgebiet
- Def.:
- Estuary English is a name given to the dialect(s) of English widely spoken in South East England, especially along the River Thames and its estuary (around London). It's called "Standard English spoken with the accent of the southeast of England". The name comes from the area around the Thames Estuary, particularly London, Kent and Essex.
- middle-class speech
- - may eventually replace received pronunciation
- special sounds
- - Non-rhoticity
- - T-dropping (Cockney-influence)
- - Sometimes H-dropping
- - Use of intrusive R.
- - Use of confrontational question tags. For example, "We're going later, aren't we?", "I said that, didn't I?"
Source: WP: Estuary_English
- Listening Example
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/text-only/received-pronunciation/london/
What influences on and changes to English spoken in Britain are there?
Solution 1:
Many people complain that English spoken in Britain changes. In the following the influences and changes shall be discussed(Dangerous ... you don't really discuss anything here-so don't promise it): First of all TV has a lot of influence on people, so as the English spoken on TV has changed the language of the people watching TV has changed too. Example ??? This might be because especially children and teenagers try to adopt their idols' way of talking. A second aspect is that even dictionaries now include the latest slang words Example ???. Thirdly Estuary English short definition of what Estuary English is is slowly replacing RPshort definition of RP. Besides people nowadays care less about the way other people speak Is that an influence on English. Language is fluid, so changes come and go. Influence of American English is not mentioned!
Solution 2
Language in Britain is influenced by several factors. Firstly children are adopting other pronounciations short Exampleto increase their coolnesssupport for thesis that this increases coolness?. A second strong influence is the American language from which many words are assimilated into British English. For example American words like "barf" or "vomit" are now fully integrated into British English. Furthermore words, which are slang are included in the dictionaries and become more acceptable and accepted. For instance while words like "bobbitt" are not mentioned anymore, new words like "dweeb" appear. The media also affect the British language. The employment of newsreaders that no longer have to speak Received Pronounciation short definition?like Anna Ford is an example of this development. In conclusion you can say if even the upper-class children have given up their Received Pronounciation it is a strong signal for the fast change in speaking culture. Spreading of Estuary English is not mentioned
Solution 3
There are some different influences on and changes to English spoken in Britain mentioned in the text. First of all the language is influenced by TV and cinema. When the first showmaster spoke Estuary English in a show people were horrified because they thought it was a sign of the end of civilisation. But today it`s quite normal to speak Estuary English even on TV.This rather answers question 2 - about the acceptance of non-RP English! A second influence are popular slang words which are even mentioned in dictionaries. Anyone can create a new word like "downsizing" or "delayering".(Neologisms)What does this explain? The dictionaries are not "anyone!!!", so it doesn support your dictionary thesis! Moreover the number of people who speak Estuary English, which has its origin in London and the Southeast is increasing and spreading up all over Britain. The fourth influence on English language are middle class pop-stars and even pupils at public schools, who speak classless Estuary English to hide their upper-class or upper middle class origins. The last influence mentioned in the text is the transatlantic influence. Many American slang words are now integrated into English. Upperclass white children adopt the accent of African-Americans to increase their coolness in the streets.But generally peopkle include "American English" in their speech, not only children .... All in all there are many influences on the English language and it has has changed seriously over the past few years and this change will go on.
How has the attitude to using and broadcasting non-RP varieties of English developed?
Being Middle Class isn't funny ...
When you are Middle Class
Musts | Problems/Fears |
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Social Exclusion - if you can't be middle-class
See David Batty. Social exclusion: the issue explained
Signs of/factors leading to social exclusion:
- unemployment, poor skills ==> low incomes
- poor housing
- high crime
- bad health, drug addiction
- lack of medical care in deprived areas
- family breakdown
- high teenage pregnancy rate
- homelessness
- high number of young people not in education/training or employment and truancy/school exclusion
Solutions:
Government tries to establish institutions that
- analyse the causes and publish the results in reports.
- critically evaluate local governments' work to improve efforts to help socially excluded groups
- help to improve cooperation of departments / institutions to solve the multi-faceted problem
- initiate programmes to improve health of children, reduce teenage pregnancy and school exclusion and to counsel young people about education and employment
- coordinate efforts to encourage private investment in deprived communities.
Essay - Every child growing up in poverty is a ticking social timebomb
Collection of ideas
These children will often ...
Thesis Statement | Supporting Points (more general/abstract) | Examples (specific, images) |
---|---|---|
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don't have money to buy special things -> steal | girls steal e.g. a Prada handbag |
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can't express themselves, envy, surroundings are bad -> learn solving conflicts by violence, aggression as a way of getting money | throwing stones at expensive cars/ scratching with keys |
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unemployed parents -> missing successful role models/ belief in working your way up | girl sees her mother prostituting herself -> role model for her later life |
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children think they don't have a chance to get out of poverty/bad money situation | parents don't give their children any hopes (no disappointing later)
parents can't afford university -> tell them that from the start |
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can't afford, what makes your dreams come true; work hard -> nearly no result; often have been rejected | s.o. wants to found a company but he doesn't even get the money from the bank |
|
no money/supporting background | |
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believing in wrong promises, no achievement of big parties for poor people | total equality (left party), electing the right party against foreigners taking their jobs |
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-> see violence | |
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only way of getting money very fast, no need of qualification | |
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girls want something that loves them, role models -> seeing it as normal |
Writing an introduction
Check if the introduction ...
- introduces the topic (+)
- gives readers an idea of what dirction the essay will take (+)
- provides an overview of the structure/line of argument (+)
- implies/poses a question and creates an expactation/interetst in the readers (+)
- states general truths/defines what needs no definition (-)
- asks questions/announces answers but does not give them (-)
Possible Introductions
- Question:
- Basic thesis/contrast ==> Definition:
- Surprising fact / statistic:
- Quotation: