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When the BBC started the first dialect used was very 'proper',as such this was the marker for 'BBC' english. With the rapid expansion of the BBC, i would be interested to find out what the most popular dialect is on tv.
Would you rather hear a Geordie or Scouser reading the news? Would a Scots accent be preferred when watching the weather? Or would a Somerset dialect be good for a children's programme?
Any other dialects that are not represented on the BBC?
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'bbc' english
when the bbc started the first dialect used was very 'proper',as such this was the marker for 'bbc' english. with the rapid expansion of the bbc, i would be interested to find out what the most popular dialect is on tv. would you rather hear a geordie or scouser reading the news? would a scots accent be preferred when watching the weather? or would a somerset dialect be good for a children's programme? any other dialects that are not represented on the bbc?
Re: 'bbc' english
Actually, once BBC English was viewed as a "sacred cow", but nowadays, things are not like what they used to be in the past. If one sharpens his/her ears when listening even to BBC radio, he/she would easily find that some of the reportes do not speak pure RP anymore. There is no ristrictive sensetivity in speaking RP. Perhaps, one of the reasons is the racist view toward it; however, distinctions are fading out and the English society is on its way toward unity and a " classless nation" in terms of the accent varieties.
yes, you (perhaps fortunately) can hear different accents showing up in English mass media!
Re: 'bbc' english
What makes me larf like a drain is those who try to talk "proper" and fail.
Perfect examples are Mrs Thatcher and Ted Heath.
The other side of the coin is to watch a 1930's film and hear a bus conductor talking posh. Hilarious.
The plain fact is that many regional accents in the UK are downright unpleasant to hear.
So is the ultra plummy accent of a certain type of military officer or the Queen.
Penelope Keith's voice sounds awful IMO
When BBC social values reigned supreme, say up to the late 50's, only a select few ever listened to it with any enthusiasm, the rest did so 'cos they had no choice.
The great and the good knew best.
As soon as the opportunity arose the masses deserted the BBC in droves.
There is a certain type of middle of the road accent that I like.
Not plummy and no pronounced local accent.
IMO the UK is not and never will be a classless society.
Today the upper middle class professionals rule the roost.
They are expensive and as the steady decline of the UK continues they may get their cum ooppence !
Re: 'bbc' english
The accent betrayes the person's personality more than their neighbourhood. A calm intelligent person will do their accent a greater service for who they are not for where they hail from.
If you judge people on their accent then it should not be because of where it suggests they come from or on how receptive your ears are to their tones and intonations.
Radio Four talks a lot of sh17 whatever the accent.
Re: 'bbc' english
When did "food" come to rhyme with "wooed" instead of "wood"?
When did the first syllable of "student" come to rhyme with "woo" instead of "wood"?
When did"quarter" come to be pronounced "korter"?
Why the need to add "er" to many words e.g "draw" to "drawer"?
Re: 'bbc' english
It used to be so that people who spoke with a BBC or RP accent thought it gave them a social status above the 'common herd'. In my youth many of my contemporaries deliberately set out to eliminate all regional traces from their manner of speech for this very reason. They thought it made them sound more 'educated' and that it would improve their chances in the job market. Unfortunately they were right - it did. I recall people throwing up their hands in horror when Wilfred Pickles read the news in his unmistakably northern tones.This was in the forties and fifties when class perceptions ruled. The sixties saw the beginning of the demise of these archaic attitudes - there were 'working class heroes' in some very fine films and The Beatles' Liverpudlian tones helped make regional accents 'cool'. Since then the process has continued but, as yet, has not totally triumphed.
It has to be true that clear, easily understood and grammatically conventional speech should be used by newsreaders and the like on national radio and television. Everone needs to understand what is being said. Nevertheless, a regional flavour is to be applauded and should be encouraged at every opportunity. It adds colour, spice and character to what could otherwise be dull formality.
Re: 'bbc' english
two words: customer helpline
dull formality has a lot going for it, like it works.
Re: 'bbc' english
Why does the dialect have to originate from Britain? On BBC World on TV, we used to see our Anita McNaught, once of Television New Zealand, doing a 'sterling' job of world newsreading.