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 What is Received Pronunciation?
What is BBC English?
Is there such a thing as 'BBC English'?
Received Pronunciation and BBC English
by Dr Catherine Sangster What is BBC English?
RP is closely associated with broadcasting in general, and the BBC in particular. It is widely believed - even if it isn't true - that the BBC traditionally employed as newsreaders and broadcasters only people who could speak RP. If you ask people to think of a person who might speak with a traditional RP accent, they'll often think of an old-fashioned BBC announcer, addressing the nation on the Home Service.
If the phrase 'BBC English' were taken literally, it would just mean English as spoken on the BBC - which today would mean virtually every kind of English from all around the world. But this is not what it means at all. 'BBC English' is a popular term for a particular acrolect - that is, a prestigious form of speech. Other, similar terms include 'Oxford English', 'the Queen's English', 'Standard English' and, of course, RP. Haran Rasalingam, posting on the Voices site, argues that "public school dialects, educated dialects and BBC dialects are dialects of status and power which is why people feel they should try to speak more like that rather than their own native dialect." The dictionary definition of 'BBC English' is Standard English as maintained by BBC announcers. The key word here is 'maintained' - BBC announcers are seen as preserving the standard, and may even be held responsible for any perceived decline. But should the BBC really be championing one particular accent of English? Does the BBC have a particular responsibility to hold back the tide of language change? Patsy from Cornwall thinks that the BBC does have such a responsibility, and that it sometimes falls short: "BBC presenters, newsreaders and journalists, who are role models for children, are guilty of misusing the language." Other contributors agree - Phil Rogers from Bournemouth argues that "Estuary English is flooding the country, and the BBC is to blame", while Peter thinks that "the BBC has helped with the Americanisation of the way we pronounce Iraq". Tony from Hampshire is happy to hear a range of English accents used in programmes, but thinks RP would be more appropriate for announcers: "My pet moan is ... when voice-overs for programme trailers are in Estuary English. Does the BBC think this makes the programme being trailed more appealing, particularly to young people because it's not in a 'posh' accent?"
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