Historical Background and Application Essay Example
Historical Background and Application Essay Example

Historical Background and Application Essay Example

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  • Pages: 8 (2056 words)
  • Published: December 25, 2016
  • Type: Essay
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Linguists and EFL teachers often use the term "Received Pronunciation" (RP) to refer to the prestigious pronunciation of British English. It is commonly recognized that RP no longer implies a specific region, such as London or southeastern England. Rather, it now represents a dialect or sociolect linked to social class. As a result, it is frequently used interchangeably with "Standard pronunciation" or viewed as an example of standard pronunciation for British English.

The aim of this paper is to examine the concept of "RP" from different perspectives in order to establish a definition. Various explanations and abundant material have been released about this style, highlighting its significance, importance, and development. Although these explanations mainly focus on the arrangement of specific speech sounds, it can be argued whether this truly represents any speech style. RP has traditionally b

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een considered as an elegant English accent commonly spoken by families in Southern England whose male members have attended prestigious boarding schools (Daniel Jones 1965).

In this thesis, the significance of selecting and utilizing Received Pronunciation (RP) in particular social groups is emphasized. The focus is on the Phonology aspect, aiming to examine the distinct linguistic characteristics of RP in English and compare the phonological similarities and differences with certain Non-RPs and American English.

In order to achieve our goals, we have proposed a number of tasks. These tasks include examining the perspectives of scholars on RP definitions, exploring the sociolinguistic aspects of RP, and comparing RP with non-RP. To carry out these tasks, we have utilized empirical methods as well as observation and comparison methods. The theoretical foundation for our research is base

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on the works of various scholars including J. Fisher (1993), J. Ellis (1869), A. Gimson (1964), A. Hughes (1997), P. Trudgill (1997), A. Shweitzer (1983), among others. The practical significance of our study lies in its potential application in practical and theoretical classes and seminars focused on phonetics, lexicology, and the history of the English language for individuals studying the functional usage of Standard English.

This research aims to compare the characteristics of Standard English, specifically Received Pronunciation (RP), and several Non-RPs like General American (GA). The study is structured into an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, and a bibliography. The initial portion of the paper focuses on the history and development of RP, which has been extensively studied by linguists such as D. Jones, D. Crystal, J. Wells, A. J. Ellis, J. Walker, among others. It is worth noting that within the field of linguistics RP is considered a relatively young accent.

In 1757, Dr Johnson wrote "A Dictionary of the English language" before the term "Received Pronunciation" existed. Linguist A. J. Ellis (1969) introduced this phrase in 1869, but it only became popular for describing the accent of the upper class after D. Jones (1924), a phonetician, included it in the second edition of the English Pronouncing Dictionary. Our goal is to analyze RP's recent evolution and determine if it truly represents something new or just a label.

The evolution of RP is closely observed and the differences between BBC English, the Queen’s English, and Public School English are commented on. Estuary English, a new generic southern accent, holds great significance as it serves as a "class barrier" and allows

inclusion into the inner circle. It is noteworthy that Margaret Thatcher adopted RP to project a more educated, powerful, and authoritative image to the voters, while Tony Blair switched from RP to Estuary English in an effort to establish a closer connection with the people he represents.

According to British phoneticians A. C Gimson (1964) and A. C. Hughes (1997), RP no longer remains homogeneous in the present day. A. C. Gimson proposes a distinction between three forms of RP: conservative, general, and advanced. The second chapter focuses on both historical and current changes in the standard form of English pronunciation. We examine non-RP accents of England, the American variant of English, and how they differ from and relate to RP. We also investigate notable similarities in phonological data collected by L. Mugglestone (2003) and A. D.

Scholars from both the UK and USA have conducted extensive research on American English, using A. D. Shweitzer's sociolinguistic approach to understand its current speech situation. While American English has undergone significant changes compared to English, it is not yet considered a separate language but rather categorized as the national variant of English in America.

The variations of a language are determined by different language communities, ranging from small groups to entire nations. When discussing nations, we refer to the specific adaptations of the language for that particular nation. A.D. Schweitzer's perspective is adopted in this context. Schweitzer argues that a national language is a category that has historically emerged as a result of economic and political consolidation, playing a crucial role in the development of a nation. In essence, a national language refers to

the language used by a nation, including its standardized form and literary expression (A.D. Schweitzer, 1983: p. 04).

Language is often acknowledged as having two forms - written and spoken. The pronunciation of a language can differ across nations, making speaking it a complex process. A "standard" refers to an accepted version of a language that adheres to specific correctness norms (D. Jones, 1965, p. 537). Currently, English-speaking countries have their own unique pronunciations that set them apart from other forms of English.

The "English English" pronunciation is commonly referred to as Received Pronunciation or RP, whereas the "American English" pronunciation is known as General American pronunciation. Some phoneticians call this standard national pronunciation an orthoepic norm or literary pronunciation. While there are notable differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar among different national variations of English, there are also numerous similarities that support considering it a single language - the English language. However, it would be inaccurate to claim that national standards remain constant and rigid.

The sound, stress, and intonation of different national variations of English mainly differ due to ongoing changes caused by internal and external factors. It is widely recognized that certain countries have multiple national languages spoken within their borders. An example of this is Canada, where both English and French are part of the community's repertoire.

The main topic of discussion in this case is the comparison between bilingualism and monolingualism, which is common in countries with only one national language. This raises the issue of interference, which refers to disturbances in language that occur when two languages (or dialects) come into contact in a specific

situation. It's important to mention that each national variation of a language can be classified as territorial or regional dialects. These dialects vary from each other in terms of pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Additionally, it should be emphasized that when focusing solely on variations in pronunciation, the term accent is used.

According to Trudgill (1979, p. 457), local accents often share many pronunciation features and are therefore classified as territorial or area accents. For instance, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire accents are grouped together as Northern accents in Britain. It is worth noting that in most phonetics textbooks, the term dialect is still used to describe regional pronunciation peculiarities. However, in recent editions both in the UK and internationally, there has been a general acceptance of distinguishing between dialects and accents. It is important to recognize that these terms should be treated differently when referring to different language aspects.

Despite the overlapping between terms, one dialect often becomes the nation's standard language due to geographic, economic, political, and cultural reasons. In Britain, the London dialect's accent became the received standard pronunciation (RP). However, social factors such as urbanization, education, and mass media have caused Standard English to exert a stronger influence on regional dialects in Great Britain in the post-war period.

Recent surveys of British English dialects have shown that many people are bilingual in a way - they use an imitation of RP with their teachers but switch to their local accent when speaking among themselves. This situation can be described as diglossia, where an individual uses both the standard form of a language and a regional dialect in different social contexts.

style="text-align: justify">Diglossia, which refers to the ability to speak two different languages, should not be confused with bilingualism. Both diglossia and bilingualism involve code-switching, and researchers in sociolinguistics and psychology have been studying the effects of these linguistic behaviors. As mentioned earlier, language usage varies depending on social settings, especially when spoken. The stratification of language is closely connected to the stratification of society.

It should be noted that linguistic facts cannot be determined solely by class structure, as stated by A. D. Schweitzer (1983: p. 541). The influence of social factors on language goes beyond the linguistic expressions of class structure and should instead be examined considering all elements derived from class, including social groups, strata, occupations, cultures, and other primary units (small groups). Western sociolinguists such as A. D. Grimshaw (1976), J F. Z. Fisher (1993), B. Bernstein (1971), M. Gregory (1967), S.

According to Carroll (1978), A. Hughes (1979), P. Trudgill (1992), and other researchers, small groups are viewed as "microcosms" of society, recognizing the influence of both micro- and macro-sociological factors on language. It is widely known that English is presently spoken by over 300 million people as their first language. English functions as the official language in Great Britain, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Initially, English was spoken in England and southeastern Scotland.

The English language was first introduced to most of Scotland and southern Ireland. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it spread to North America from the West of England. Later on, in the 18th and 19th centuries, as a result of colonial expansion, English was taken to Australia, New Zealand, and South

Africa. Many people from southeastern parts of England migrated to these lands for invasion, exploration, and settlement during this time period. Consequently, English became widely used in Wales around the same time.

Welsh English is similar to southern English due to its influence from Welsh. However, in the 20th century, American English started spreading in Canada, Latin America, the Bermudas, and other regions around the world. As a result, we now have two main versions of English: English and American English. English is the second most spoken language globally after Spanish and serves as the official language in more than fifty-two countries. It is used in countries like India, Singapore, and small island nations such as Fiji Islands.

The widespread use of English is predicted to persist in the business world and other social contexts, solidifying its position as a commonly spoken language. Currently, English is spoken globally for several reasons. Its prevalence can be attributed to its status as the official language of England, which had a vast empire throughout history. As a result, the English language and customs were disseminated among their subjects.

The English language's popularity can be explained by various factors, including its adoption as a second language in many non-English speaking countries. These nations acknowledge the importance of English for business and attracting tourists, making it one of England's significant contributions to the world. Nevertheless, with the global spread of English, there are apprehensions about potential cultural identity erosion among its speakers.

There is concern that people in the Global village will lose their connection to their original social culture. Statistics show that one in every

five people worldwide speaks English. Additionally, over 70% of scientists globally read English and approximately 85% of global mail is written in English. Furthermore, around 90% of information stored in electronic retrieval systems is in English (Journal of International Phonetic Association,1983, p. 9). The English language encompasses various forms and dialects with unique pronunciation, specialized vocabulary, and sometimes distinct grammatical rules. British dialectologists like P. Trudgill (1992), J. Hannah (1982), and A. Hughes (1997) classify different variants within the English-based group as English, Welsh English, Australian English, New Zealand English; while within the American-based group they classify United States English and Canadian English

Scottish English, Irish English, and Welsh English are different forms of British English. Despite their distinctions, they share more similarities than differences because of political, geographical, cultural, and psychological factors. While this study primarily explores the "English" types within these variations, it is appropriate to classify all these dialects as part of British English.

The text above discussed the British English Pronunciation Standards and Accents (BEPS), which include English English (EE), Welsh English (WE), Scottish English (SCE), and Northern Ireland English (NIE).

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