Regional Varieties and Perceptions of English Accents

This comprehensive page explores the complex relationship between accent, perception, and social status in British English. The research presents various studies examining how different accents influence listeners' judgments and social attitudes.

Definition: Matched Guise is an experimental method where one speaker uses different accents to evaluate listeners' judgments about each accent variation.

Highlight: The Giles-matched Guise experiment revealed that RP speakers were perceived as more intelligent and trustworthy but less sociable and friendly.

Vocabulary: Shibboleth refers to the distinctive features of language use in a specific region, including pronunciation patterns and word choices.

Example: Common accent features include:

• G-dropping (removing final /ŋ/ sound)
• H-dropping (omitting initial /h/)
• Yod-coalescence (specific pronunciation of /j/ sound)

Quote: According to Dent, "Accents are like spoken birthmarks," highlighting their deep connection to personal identity.

The page also discusses significant linguistic phenomena:

1. Dialect leveling: Kerswill's research shows accents becoming increasingly similar
2. The decline of RP: Mugglestone notes decreasing RP speaker numbers
3. The Queen's accent evolution: Harrington's study shows royal speech diverging from traditional RP
4. Commercial use: Montgomery's research reveals RP is preferred for technical descriptions while regional accents are used for food advertisements

The text concludes with detailed information about international varieties of English, including American English features and global English categorization through Kachru's three circles model: inner circle (native speaking countries), outer circle (post-colonial contexts), and expanding circle (English as a foreign language regions).