Page 6 of 7
 1. Language and identity
2. Dialect areas
3. Origins of regional differences
4. Influence of other languages
5. Change and spread
6. The media
7. Other dialects and languages
6. The media
The role of the electronic media in the spread of linguistic changes within Britain is small and not very significant. Television obviously plays a role in influencing the words and phrases people use, but it does not play any important part in influencing their accents or the grammar of their dialects. What seems to be necessary for someone to change their accent or dialect, even if only slightly, is for them to be in frequent face-to-face contact with speakers with different speech patterns. Scots probably hear London accents on television every day of the week, but they do not acquire any features of a London accent unless they move to London and spend large amounts of time talking to Londoners. Nearly all British people are exposed to a great deal of American English, but the only British people who acquire any features of an American accent are those who spend time in America. We are currently seeing a number of changes spreading outwards from London to other parts of the country. This is not a recent development but something which has happened ever since London became the most important urban centre. For example, the change from 'bootter' to 'butter', just like the loss of r in cart, started in London. One such current change is the change of pronunciation from 'th' to 'f' and 'v, so that younger people are increasingly saying fing rather than thing and bruvver rather than brother. It is obvious from the way this is happening, though, that TV is not responsible for this spread - the change is quite clearly diffusing outwards geographically from the southeast of England in a westerly and northerly direction. The change arrived in Bristol before it arrived in Exeter, in Cambridge before Norwich, and in Northampton before Sheffield. This spread is the result of interaction between speakers in neighbouring areas. People do not interact with their television sets - you do not talk to your TV, and even if you do, it can't hear you.
|
