All accents should be standardised to create one standard variety of English Language

DO YOU AGREE? If so, why? If NOT, why?

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

No, it will be a logistical nightmare, if logistical is the right word. If you want to give it a go then good luck with that.

Reply 2

username321708

Original post by oneill

DO YOU AGREE? If so, why? If NOT, why?

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

No. Accents are of one of the many things that contribute to a language's rich heritage and diversity. Why would you want one accent and what would that achieve? Admittedly, some are an enjoyment to listen to and others are not, but that's personal preference for what grates one persons ears might have the opposite effect on another.

Original post by Guru Jason

No, it will be a logistical nightmare, if logistical is the right word. If you want to give it a go then good luck with that.

I think it would be more apt to say that it would be a "linguistical" nightmare, no? :wink:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 3

Thatstudentdude

I don't understand how you could possibly 'standardise' an accent? Accents are created from many different factors, social, geographical, class...how do you suggest that we get someone raised in Manchester to speak the same as someone raised in the east end of London?

Reply 4

Genocidal

No idea how that would be even possible.

Reply 5

JOSHIK1

How do you choose which existing accent should be the standard one? I'm sure that no area would willingly give up their accent. Unless you are considering creating a completely new accent, which would of course bring in itself a whole variety of issues.

Reply 6

hennessybubbles

this was the case until about 50 years ago- that was the whole idea behind bbc english.

I don't see any reason to do this other than to create social hierarchy-which was the reason it was done in the first place.

In short- there is no valid reason to do this- I think you have to defend the proposition that it should be done in the first place before you make arguments about whether it would be feasible.

Reply 7

MagLatus

As a descriptive linguist, I have to agree. All this variation in human language is just mind-bogglingly useless ostentation to the forth-development of our superior species. Hurray! Make all the accents one, and while we're at it, let's kill everybody who doesn't speak in our accent, tongue or doesn't share our sentiment. Oh, and best burn all those records of these other things that were once known as "languages" for there is but one. A hurrah on the next generation of better humans!

Reply 8

GooglyEyedMonster

I loved my accent when I lived at home ... but then I got to Uni and everyone picked up on it so I had to physically change to a more 'accepted' version. Now I've been here for 4 years I miss it, so now I don't make such a conscious effort until my flatmates point it out :s-smilie:

. Its my link to home. And I like that I don't sound like a Londoner or like I'm from Birmingham or Manchester! The downside is that people associate many accents to wealth/intelligence and unfortunately my accent is from Somerset - Go figure :frown:

Its part of the culture of Britain/England/United Kingdom, and that way it should stay :smile:

Reply 9

Pastaferian

Original post by oneill

DO YOU AGREE? If so, why? If NOT, why?

Impossible. The Americans would never sign up for it.

But, more seriously, this is not how languages work. Read Pinker's book "The Language Instinct"