Language Features in Different Context
Accents
Throughout this controlled assessment, I have noticed that I use different accents in different context. When I speak to my family and friends, I change my accent when having a conversation with them in English. Which is made apparent when I pronounce: “what else did you have just pizza and nothing else?” in a different accent on transcript 2. This is because I am of Bangladeshi ethnicity which has influenced the way I pronounce words. I may purposely speak in a Bangladeshi accent if I am being sarcastic, or to create humour with friends and others. My friends find my Bangladeshi accent funny because they think I sound like Raj Koothrappali, a character on the Big Bang Theory, who is from India. In addition, it makes me speak in a unique way in my social group, and this is due to the fact that most of my friends speak with a southern accent. On the contrary, I have noticed some people mostly within my social group try to imitate my accent, as they find what I said is: “funny” and/or “cool”. Although, I was born in east London I have little similarity in accent with east Londoners because I spent most of my childhood in the south, even though I use to go London on most weekends and holidays as many of my family live there. This is shown in transcript 2, when I say: “I’m doing good, thank you”, which I pronounce in a southern accent. However, I am often criticized for sounding “too posh” by my extended family, as I have a mainly southern accent. In other contexts, such as speaking with educated and respectable people, I try to speak in Received Pronunciation (RP), thus I sound good because RP is associated with respectable, educated, and well off people of society. On the other hand, I use my regional accent as a way of gaining covert prestige context when in informal contexts, such as having a conversation with a friend. This indicates I am trying to come across as rebellious and independent, or trustworthy and down-to-earth. Also, I do this due to the fact
Throughout this controlled assessment, I have noticed that I use different accents in different context. When I speak to my family and friends, I change my accent when having a conversation with them in English. Which is made apparent when I pronounce: “what else did you have just pizza and nothing else?” in a different accent on transcript 2. This is because I am of Bangladeshi ethnicity which has influenced the way I pronounce words. I may purposely speak in a Bangladeshi accent if I am being sarcastic, or to create humour with friends and others. My friends find my Bangladeshi accent funny because they think I sound like Raj Koothrappali, a character on the Big Bang Theory, who is from India. In addition, it makes me speak in a unique way in my social group, and this is due to the fact that most of my friends speak with a southern accent. On the contrary, I have noticed some people mostly within my social group try to imitate my accent, as they find what I said is: “funny” and/or “cool”. Although, I was born in east London I have little similarity in accent with east Londoners because I spent most of my childhood in the south, even though I use to go London on most weekends and holidays as many of my family live there. This is shown in transcript 2, when I say: “I’m doing good, thank you”, which I pronounce in a southern accent. However, I am often criticized for sounding “too posh” by my extended family, as I have a mainly southern accent. In other contexts, such as speaking with educated and respectable people, I try to speak in Received Pronunciation (RP), thus I sound good because RP is associated with respectable, educated, and well off people of society. On the other hand, I use my regional accent as a way of gaining covert prestige context when in informal contexts, such as having a conversation with a friend. This indicates I am trying to come across as rebellious and independent, or trustworthy and down-to-earth. Also, I do this due to the fact