This document discusses various features of dialects and accents in spoken English. It provides examples of differences in pronunciation, meaning, grammar and vocabulary across regional dialects. It also discusses debates around the teaching of standard English in schools, with some arguing it is important to promote equal opportunities, while others believe all English varieties should be valued equally.

1. Dialect features
O Multiple negation ‘I don’t want no more ice cream.’
O Using comparatives and superlatives ‘She is more
prettier than him.’
O Unmarked plurality ‘one hundred pound’; ‘thirteen
mile’
O Not using adverbs ‘He ran slow.’ instead of ‘He ran
slowly.’
O Different use of prepositions ‘He went up the pub.’;
‘I was at London.’
O Pluralisation of second person pronoun ‘you’ ‘Are yous
going to the concert?’
O Using ‘me’ instead of ‘my’ ‘That’s me book you’ve got
there.’
O Use of ain’t instead of isn’t ‘I aint going to the shop.’
O Deletion of a preposition ‘Give it me.’ instead of ‘Give
it to me.’

2. Spoken Language Study
Accent and Dialect
L.O:
To evaluate how spoken English varies
according to regional and social context ;
to reflect on public reactions to
different accents.

3. Starter
O Watch the following video
• Aims:
• To understand how spoken
English varies according to
regional and social context ; to
reflect on public reactions to
different accents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dHtNRRIzdo&fe
ature=related. [Outnumbered].
 Identify the word that the girl cannot understand
because it is pronounced differently (accent).
 Identify the word that she cannot understand
because to her, it has a completely different
meaning (dialect).

4. Identify the word that the girl cannot understand because it is
pronounced differently (accent).
Identify the word that she cannot understand because to her, it
has a completely different meaning (dialect).

5. Keywords
• Aims:
• To understand how spoken
English varies according to
regional and social context ; to
reflect on public reactions to
different accents.
O Accent: Difference in pronunciation when
compared to Standard English:
Heed - Head
O Dialect: Difference in meaning when compared to
Standard English.
wee - tiny

6. Where in the country
do these phrases
come from?
O “Ha’way, pet”
O “Top of da mornin’ to
ya”
O “Calm down, calm
down”
O “Just on the dog and
bone, luv”
O “Ey up, there’s trouble
at mill”
O “Och aye lassie”

7. Dialect
Words associated
with a particular
geographical region

8. What does it mean?
OKets
OStalled
OSpice
OTuffees
OGoodies
OCoshies
O??????

9. And another one….
OStottie-cake
OBarm-cake
OScuffler
OCob
OBatch
OBap
ORoll

10. Standard English in schools
O Under the new DFE criteria all teachers
should:
"Demonstrate an understanding of and
take responsibility for promoting high
standards of literacy, articulacy and the
correct use of standard English, whatever
the teacher's specialist subject."

11. Regional varieties and
slang in education
AGAINST
John Honey argues that:
O children should be taught Standard English at school because
this is the only way to make sure that all children have equal
opportunities.
O Standard English is the prestigious form and, therefore, if
children do not learn and use it, they will be at a disadvantage.
FOR
Milroy and Milroy argued that:
O it’s not fair to correct children for using non-standard varieties
of English.
O some children may struggle at school because Standard English
is unfamiliar to them and working class students, in particular,
are often put at a disadvantage;
O all varieties of English should be valued equally.

12. Debate
O Try to come up with at least one point
for the teaching of Standard English in
schools and at least one point against.

13. Homework
O Complete the sheet analysing your
idiolect.
O Tuesday 30th September 2014