The English language

[perrins57]

As in most human pursuits, the quest for purity is generally the sign of some psychological malfunction.

~~

And what, pray tell, is that malfunction which is characterised by the quest for purity in psychological function?

Its most often manifested in the use of the expression "pray tell".

[buddhu]

As in most human pursuits, the quest for purity is generally the sign of some psychological malfunction.

~~

And what, pray tell, is that malfunction which is characterised by the quest for purity in psychological function?

Its most often manifested in the use of the expression "pray tell".

Ooh, is that the sound of luck being pushed?

[Doug_Tipple]

Somewhat off course, but I am interested in what spoken English sounds like on the radio. I enjoy listening to the professional hosts of the nationally syndicated classical music programs. They generally have the knowledge and take the time to pronounce the words and names correctly. They also have the skill to use their voices in a pleasant manner. I don't think about it much until my local announcer starts talking, and the contrast is so striking. There are two student announcers at my local university station that I have a hard time listening to. Clearly, they have never been taught how to make pleasant sounds with their voices. I am reminded of Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" instructing Elisa Dolittle how to speak English correctly. You would think that at least a short course in elocution should be essential for anyone desiring to grace the airwaves with their spoken words.

Before the critics start to tear apart my use of the term, "speaking English correctly", I should say that I realize that there isn't such a thing as speaking correctly. What I am primarily interested in is the musical quality of the speech and how easy that it is to listen to.

[hyldemoer]

I should say that I realize that there isn't such a thing as speaking correctly. What I am primarily interested in is the musical quality of the speech and how easy that it is to listen to.

I imagine if those two student announcers want to continue the craft to a larger audience in the real world they too will learn to use a radio voice when they need to.

When I went to interpreting school they spoke to us about something they called "code switching" at the time.
Politicians do it all the time. They clue their language mannerisms to what ever audience they're trying to appeal to.
African Americans living in the USA learn to code switch depending on the situation they're in.
Deaf people do it (variations of sign language) constantly even within their community depending on who they're trying to communicate with.

Part of it has to do with being understood,
part of it has to do with dropping subconscious barriers presented by who ever you're trying to converse with.
In a way, code switching is a bit like a verbal body language.

[The Weekenders]

[
Which kind of English is it that Americans find so appealing? BBC English, upper-class idiot English, the working class dialect crucified by Dick Van Dyke or perhaps the bizarre Scotglish Robin Williams dredged up for 'Mrs Doubtfire'?

Probably BBC English or maybe what I understand to be RP. I am not sure what the boundary is between RP and BBC. I know that when I hear the Prince speak, it's a little dull, whereas those blonde babes on the international BBC move their mouth a bit more. it's really easy to imitate the prince if you hold your chin still and don't move your lower lip.

It seems like with the younger people these days, Cockney is big, which is interesting but weird. It as if they are moving down the socio-econ ladder, but really, in America, a lot of white kids try to sound black these days. We had a young man from Sussex stay with us for a while and he affected the Cockney even though none of his family was from London.

I don't think Cockney is as much of a chick magnet, but you never know.

My contention is that you can take an American and a Brit with exactly the same amount of education and the Brit will be thought of as "smarter" for no other reason than the damn accent.

It's mainly because many of those people so impressed have never flown over the pond and seen a whole country of Brit talkers.....

[djm]

a whole country of Brit talkers

Egad! Is such a thing allowed?

djm

[s1m0n]

As in most human pursuits, the quest for purity is generally the sign of some psychological malfunction.

~~

And what, pray tell, is that malfunction which is characterised by the quest for purity in psychological function?

You name it - racism, fascisn, all manner of cultural superiority and inferiority complexes all involve significant amounts of hysteria about purity.

[Jack]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

[MTGuru]

I think's it's Estuary English that's the hot accent/dialect among wayward youth nowadays, not Cockney per se:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A853003
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/index.html

Here are a couple of websites that may be of interest.

o The IDEA at the University of Kansas is an archive of mp3 field recordings of ordinary English speakers from around the world. Dig down through the menus to a particular location. A resource for researchers, actors, etc.

http://web.ku.edu/idea/contact.htm

o The Language Log at the University of Pennsylvania is a group blog by a group of academic and professional linguists. It's the real deal, hard-core linguistics, but it's far from dry! Topics often focus on language issues in the media, contemporary culture, and everyday life, with an underlying goal of debunking linguistic misconceptions and highlighting the value of linguistics as a tool for understanding a broad range of issues. Fun stuff.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/

[cowtime]

Spoken English varies so much across the UK and Ireland that speakers from widely separated areas may have real problems communicating. A broad Scot or Geordie may find herself unintelligible to someone with a strong rural Cornish accent, and vice versa.

Same thing around here. I know I've certainly been told I talk "funny".

I taped the PBS Story of English many years ago when it first aired on tv. My brother just had me dig up the tape on our Appalachian English to show to a class he's teaching.

Here's not the best site I've found(the best is down right now), but a decent one, on Appalachian English-It's not a dialect that makes a favorable impression. I love and speak it anyway.

http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/

Here's a test of your Mountain Vocabulary

http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/v ... _test.html

[buddhu]

... I love and speak it anyway...

That's all that matters, Cowie.

[buddhu]

I think's it's Estuary English that's the hot accent/dialect among wayward youth nowadays, not Cockney per se...

Believe me, mate; once you move 30 miles north or south of London, people become less able to distinguish between the two. I would recognise a cockney, and she would recognise me as a non-cockney - but not immediately. I seriously doubt that the majority of American listeners would be able to tell the difference without the overt use of rhyming slang by the Cockney contingent.

Sorry to disappoint, but rhyming slang is used much less these days, thus the job of spot-the-Cockney is harder than one might think.

Most British or Irish people from outside the south east of England couldn't tell a Cockney from someone who came from Catford or Barnet.

[djm]

Or if they're from Luton, where it's a three-cornered contest between Alan Jones (Sensible Party), Tarquin Fin-tim-lim-bim-lim-bin- bim-bin-bim bus stop F'tang F'tang Olé Biscuitbarrel (Silly Party), and Kevin Phillips Bong, who is running on the Slightly Silly ticket. And here's the result:






djm

[jsluder]

Here's a test of your Mountain Vocabulary

http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/v ... _test.html

Growin' up in northeastern Tennessee, I'd heard all of 'em on the test 'cept'n "cat's head" and "hippoes".

[cowtime]

Here's a test of your Mountain Vocabulary

http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/v ... _test.html

Growin' up in northeastern Tennessee, I'd heard all of 'em on the test 'cept'n "cat's head" and "hippoes".

Yaaaaay! You get a gold star!
You're one I thought of when I posted this. I figured you'd do right well on the thing.

I must admit though, that here we say "cathead" not "cats head" and "hippoed" is a favorite of my mom's.