| Kommentar |
Note: This is a seminar in linguistics, not a course in accent training/reduction. The goal of the course is not to make your accent more RP-like. In fact, this seminar would be a great place to critically discuss the very concept of accent "reduction" courses. 'Received Pronunciation' (RP) is the term given to what is widely considered the accepted British standard accent. Used as a 'regionally neutral' accent across public domains, such as government and the media, and learned as a target model in countries around the world, Received Pronunciation ranks among the most prestigious English accents. However, RP is not a monolithic construct: Not only has it been subject to change over the course of the past 100+ years, it has also diversified into different forms. As a concept, RP continues to carry social and attitudinal connotations that are intertwined with British society. In this seminar, we will get deeply familiar with the social accent labelled 'Received Pronunciation'. The seminar begins by re-introducing (and complicating) key terminology, such as standard, dialect and accent. We will then explore the history of the concept of RP, starting with Daniel Jones, and compare different contemporary descriptions of RP (Wells, Upton, Roach, etc.). We will also look at linguistic changes currently underway and learn about different forms of RP, including changes that have been observed in public representatives of this accent (such as the Royal Family). The seminar then turns to attitudes towards RP, both in Britain as well as in norm-receiving countries like Germany. The semester concludes with an outlook on the potential future of RP in light of emerging competing standards like Estuary English. Among others, we will address the following questions: - What is Received Pronunciation?
- What does RP and its different forms sound like?
- How and when did RP emerge?
- Which linguistic changes have occured or are currently underway in RP?
- How do people in Britain and abroad (e.g. Germany) think about RP?
- What is the future of RP in light of competing standards?
In addition to reading lots of (sometimes quite advanced) linguistic literature on the subject, participants will be required to familiarize themselves with the sound and transcription of RP. Furthermore, we will work with audio recordings of RP speakers across decades. This seminar is particularly suitable for students who have enjoyed the course "Phonetics and phonology" and/or those who are interested in deeply exploring the academic discourse around one of the most studied accents of English. A comprehensive reading list will be handed out in the first session of the seminar. All reading will be made available electronically for free. Prospective participants eager to get an early start are recommended to start with these: - Lindsey, Geoffrey Alan. 2019. English after RP: Standard British pronunciation today. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Roach, Peter. 2004. British English: Received Pronunciation. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 34(2). 239–245. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025100304001768.
|
