Do you need an RP accent to "get on" in life?
Ah, the BBC accent-also known as Received Pronunciation. Some may argue it's 'proper', 'standard' English, that you are 'well-spoken' if you demonstrate this particular accent.
However, would you agree with the statement "It is important that we teach children that, to get on in life, they must speak Standard English with an RP accent"?
A primary school in the West Midlands banned its students from using 'black country slang', causing a small uproar in both the children and parents, who insisted it should be allowed for identity purposes. However, the headteacher insisted that it would 'halt the decline in standards'; it was found that the number of pupils with Key Stage 2 reading had gone up by 7 percent, and children achieving a higher level five in reading has also gone up by 5 percent.
So, does this mean that to thrive academically, you cannot speak with your own accent and slang, subject to where you come from?
From a young age, we are taught all the aspects of Standard English from phonics and vocabulary to grammar and punctuation-but never accent or pronunciation. Whilst I believe it is important to know what is grammatically correct for the sake of education and professionalism, slang from different regions can sometimes contradict these values and so could be deemed as unprofessional-phrases banned in Colley Lane, West Midlands, include "I cor do that" (I can't do that), "gonna" (going to) and "they was" (they were)-here we can clearly identify that this is not your standard RP, but does that mean it shouldn't be used, or are we conforming to one type of language just to seem more lexically elevated than we actually are and taking away our own regional identity to do so?
It is almost inevitable that by speaking RP, you are going to sound like someone of a higher class, as well as this accent implying a sense of intelligence and being well educated. However, on the other hand, some may argue that whilst you do sound posh, you may come across as 'stuck up' rather than well educated in this day and age. It seems that Received Pronunciation has lost it's once high prestige and is often viewed as more snobbish than anything else, meaning teaching children to speak that way and conditioning them into something that is not natural to their region is more anachronistic than anything else. Besides, if we teach all children to speak this way, England will lose it's North/South divide and the accents and cultures that come with this. In a sense it could lose each area's identity and diversity.
Conversely, if we do not teach children how to speak eloquently and, in a sense, properly, there is no doubt that employers could be put off by their overwhelming use of slang. The English language changes everyday with new slang words being added into the dictionary; but at the end of the day everything changes with time, and we don't speak like Shakespeare anymore, so whether we like it or not our language will change. However, this does not mean standard grammar has to deteriorate. It is still important to pronounce your T's and not everyone in life is going to let lazy pronunciation slide,
In conclusion, I believe that being British is all about each cultural identity subject to each region and we should revel in the fact that we all have different accents. Whilst standard English should not be forgotten and should be applied to each accent, every area has its own slang and maybe if we were all less prejudiced towards each others own slang and accent then the world would be a less judgemental and more open minded, peaceful place.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it!
So, does this mean that to thrive academically, you cannot speak with your own accent and slang, subject to where you come from?
From a young age, we are taught all the aspects of Standard English from phonics and vocabulary to grammar and punctuation-but never accent or pronunciation. Whilst I believe it is important to know what is grammatically correct for the sake of education and professionalism, slang from different regions can sometimes contradict these values and so could be deemed as unprofessional-phrases banned in Colley Lane, West Midlands, include "I cor do that" (I can't do that), "gonna" (going to) and "they was" (they were)-here we can clearly identify that this is not your standard RP, but does that mean it shouldn't be used, or are we conforming to one type of language just to seem more lexically elevated than we actually are and taking away our own regional identity to do so?
It is almost inevitable that by speaking RP, you are going to sound like someone of a higher class, as well as this accent implying a sense of intelligence and being well educated. However, on the other hand, some may argue that whilst you do sound posh, you may come across as 'stuck up' rather than well educated in this day and age. It seems that Received Pronunciation has lost it's once high prestige and is often viewed as more snobbish than anything else, meaning teaching children to speak that way and conditioning them into something that is not natural to their region is more anachronistic than anything else. Besides, if we teach all children to speak this way, England will lose it's North/South divide and the accents and cultures that come with this. In a sense it could lose each area's identity and diversity.
Conversely, if we do not teach children how to speak eloquently and, in a sense, properly, there is no doubt that employers could be put off by their overwhelming use of slang. The English language changes everyday with new slang words being added into the dictionary; but at the end of the day everything changes with time, and we don't speak like Shakespeare anymore, so whether we like it or not our language will change. However, this does not mean standard grammar has to deteriorate. It is still important to pronounce your T's and not everyone in life is going to let lazy pronunciation slide,
In conclusion, I believe that being British is all about each cultural identity subject to each region and we should revel in the fact that we all have different accents. Whilst standard English should not be forgotten and should be applied to each accent, every area has its own slang and maybe if we were all less prejudiced towards each others own slang and accent then the world would be a less judgemental and more open minded, peaceful place.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it!
