Language in Use 161
This unit is concerned with the role of language as a medium for transmitting
values, in particular those values which are bound up with a man's sense of
belonging to a particular locality and community. It focuses upon regional
speech, those forms of spoken English which are characterised by differences
of grammar and vocabulary as well as sound so that it is possible to recognise
where the speaker comes from, by the way that he speaks. The record referred
to in the headnote to C4 includes a wide variety of examples of regional speech
from contemporary Britain.
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[1] Play one sample of speech at a time and ask the class to identify the area from which the speaker comes. Some accents may be very difficult for some classes to identify at a first hearing, and they may therefore require several replays. In discussion, explore with the class the evidence on which their guesses have been based.
[2] For this session, the class need to have made a collection of information about regional speech gleaned from radio, television, and personal contacts. Ask the class to reconsider the judgements made in [1] in the light of this evidence. If any of the examples remain unidentified, their origin should be revealed. The class should go on to consider anything that they have observed about regional speech in their own school and community.
[3] The aim of this session is to explore situations in which regional speakers may find their speech being modified. These include changing one's home, job, level of income or social standing, and situations where individuals come to adopt an alternative accent to their usual one for a particular situation like school or business. Explore the delicate subject of altering one's accent deliberately, and ask the class to consider why it happens and whether or not it is something they would be happy to accept for themselves or for others.
Related topics are explored in C4, H4, and J1.