The document discusses accents and dialects in English. It defines an accent as a pattern of pronunciation used by speakers belonging to a particular region, social group, sex, age group or level of education. A dialect refers to variations in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation characteristic of a particular group. The document explores how factors like geography, socioeconomic class, sex, ethnicity and age can influence accents and dialects. It also discusses Received Pronunciation (RP) as the standard accent of English in England.