Flagrant misuse of apostrophe.

[oldspice]

I do! My accent is actually north east London (a la David Beckham - from my hometown of Chingford) but i could not possibly face a class of students sounding like a cast member from EastEnders! I moderate my accent when in my professional capacity. In any case, my mother sent me to elecution lessons to moderate my London accent because she thought I'd be at a disadvantage if I dropped my 'hs'!

[goldencup]

I suppose I do as well but I'm not sure I do it voluntarily - I just catch myself copying the accent of whoever I'm talking to (especially in Australia) and I have to be careful in case people think I'm taking the mickey!  By the way Bounty, as you're so particular about spelling etc, I think you'll find the word is 'pronunciations'.  And Oldspice, your mother was probably right, at that time anyway.  Personally I like to hear different regional accents and I think it would be a great shame if they disappear. 

 

[one_serious_chocoholic]

I do exactly the same GoldenCup only vice versa (I find myself trying to sound more English here)! But most people can't tell where I'm from (even back in Australia). I've had a somewhat nomadic life (UN kid), the repercussion of which is I now have a very mixed accent!

'Supposedly' and 'Supposeably'...that's another one

[one_serious_chocoholic]

I don't know if your essay can cover the international linguistic sphere Oldspice; but the current language situation Singapore is a very interesting case to study.

The official business language is English but it's being "tainted" and converted into what linguists are terming 'Singlish'.

There's a big debate as to whether this is lower class and if it should be allowed. At present a lot of Singaporeans are unhappy as the Singapore business industry (especially within teaching) is hiring international employees with a 'proper' accent and paying big bucks whilst the Singaporeans, virtually all of whom speak perfectly fluent English, are being neglected.

Pronounciation is how it's spelt here  
I also find myself imitating other people with a strong accent.  It's actually a part of the process of how we acquire a different accent.  I have a fairly standard accent with a slight Nottingham twang, so I'm quite fertile for a new lingo!  

The Singapore thing is VERY technical, I'll leave that to Oldspice, if she's doing a postgrad.

[oldspice]

Well, if you think back some years, almost all TV announcers, especially news readers, had perfect standard English aacents and people whould have been shocked to hear the news or weather spoken in a regional accent. Even now I would say it is rare to hear the news read in a West Midlands accent. I suppose that is the situation in Singapore - it is a developing economy with western markets to impress and they propably think we still all talk in received English over hear!

Regional accents are wonderful and should be retained - and it is nice to hear some fusion going on two - I have an Asian friend from Bolton who has a broad Bolton accent and some of our local Asian youths speak with a mix of a Kashmiri and local Fen accent. Init?

[smurfboy]

There's nothing wrong with regional accents -  I speak as a broad Brummie - but I do think it's important to write in proper English. There's nothing wrong with a bit of slang in an imformal setting, but I can't stand it when people don't even try and spell or punctuate properly and then cry snobbery if you try and correct them.  

[loulou]

:,./'!!!

[oldspice]

[lemoneye]

Good grief.

[goldencup]

And another thing!  - Does this annoy anyone else?  Bounty maybe?  Books that are written as though in an accent - for instance I just struggled unsuccessfully to get through one when the word 'you' was written as 'yer' throughout, just because it was set in Liverpool!

If it's done well, like in Viz with Sid the Sexist and Biffa Bacon, it's funny and cool.  But if it's done simply to pay lip service to a regional accent, then yes - it's annoying.

[loulou]

aye.

Am wae you pal. See thon pish that thae folks talk like, it gies me the boak, ye ken.