Standard English and regional accents

Received Pronunciation (RP): the form of British English pronunciation which is used by many educated people in every part of Britain and is typical of many people in the south of England. It is thought of as a standard form and is often used by the ВВС. It is also used in teaching English in many parts of the world.

Received Pronunciation (RP) or ВВС English (so called because it is used by ВВС announcers) is the accent of the South-east of England. It has been associated with power and high social class since the 14^th century.

Accent is the sound of a person's pronunciation of the English language. It is very important in Britain. It shows where a person comes from and, to an extent, what class he or she belongs to. Britain has many different accents. Each of the four countries in the Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, has its own accent. Within England most of the counties have a different accent. The sound of someone’s voice will often show the position people hold in society. Today society has changed and regional accents are more acceptable. But an RP accent is still important and will help people to get jobs and a position in society, which might be denied, to them if they spoke in a different way.

Cockney is a way of speaking English that is typical of people who live in the eastern area of London. It is known as the London dialect. Cockney means East End working class.

What does Cockney sound like?

"That ain 't got nothing to do with it "(Cockney) = "That has nothing to do with it. "(Standard English)

Th are pronounced like f as in barf for "bath", or v, as in bruvver for "brother". They neglect the t in words like "butter", "bottle", "rotten", which in Cockney can best be represented by bu! er bo! le, ro! en. Similarly, didn't becomes didn and haven't turns into arn.

The characteristic for which Cockney is famous, of course, is the silent h. "That's an edgeog" means "That's a hedgehog". The g is often missing from -ing endings like: eatin 'and drinkin'. Cockney will drop letters and slur words in many different ways. Old becomes ol. An becomes ern, as in ern afternoon. You is yer, and so on.

Rhyming Slang is a way of speaking, originally popular among cockneys, in which a rhyming phrase, or part of it, is substituted for a standard word.

This form of slang replaces a word with a phrase which rhymes withit:

'loaf of bread' ('loaf) means 'head';

'apples and pears' ('apples') means 'stairs';

'bees and honey' means 'money.

 

HOME, SWEET HOME

East or West home is best.

It is common knowledge that there is no place like home. To the British their homes are important. They are dedicated to them; they give them a lot of time and effort, looking after their homes with much love, care and enthusiasm. More than half of British families own their homes (houses or flats). Others live in council accommodation and some people rent from private owners.

Types of Houses. There are three types of houses that people live in:

a) detached;

b) semi-detached;

c) terraced.

A semi-detached house is joined to the house next door by a shared wall. A house of this kind is less expensive than a detached house, but still offers a good standard of privacy and comfort. It usually has a small garden at the front and a larger garden at the back

A detached house is the most expensive type of home. It stands on its own land and is not attached to another building. Such houses have privacy from neighbours, and they are ideal for keen gardeners who can devote plenty of time to work in their garden.

A terraced house is usually two- or three-storeys high. It is one of a continuous row of similar houses, joined together by their side walls. Many rows of terraced houses were originally built for workers in nearby factories or coalmines. A terraced house usually costs less than a semi-detached or detached house of similar size. There are miles of terraced houses in most towns. Over a quarter of British families live in them. There are also other types of buildings in which people live:

d) apartment blocks;

e) bungalows;

f) country cottages.

Bungalows are one-storey houses which are particularly popular with older people.

Apartment blocks are high-rise blocks of flats which provide accommodation for a lot of city dwellers. But these buildings are not very popular. About 20% of the population live in flats. There are more flats in cities than in rural areas. Most people in Britain traditionally like to live in houses.

The number of people owning their own houses is steadily rising in Britain though a house is expensive. A person does not usually need to have all the money himself to pay for the house. Most people buy their homes with a mortgage which they get from a bank or a building society.

Public Housing. About one third of the population now live in council houses. These houses are provided by local authority councils such as town councils, usually at a low rent. Such houses are mainly occupied by working-class people who cannot afford to buy a house.

Since 1980 it has become possible for council house tenants to buy their houses at favourable rates after they have lived in them for at least two years.

BRITISH FOOD

We may live without poetry, music and art:

We may live without conscience, and live without heart:

We may live without friends;

We may live without books: