Tuesday, 15 September 2015

How Diversity in Spoken Language is Being Valued (or De-Valued)

In the article we were presented with (which can be found here), we learned about a 'new' multi-ethnic dialect that has recently risen to popularity in urban areas. It has been cited to include influences of Cockney, Jamaican Creole and Bengali.

In this article: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/oct/18/census-2011-england-wales-diversity-languages-map (last accessed 15th September),
we learn about one of the main reasons for such a dialect becoming so prominent. In the 2011 census data we can see how many different languages are spoken in urban areas. Helpful diagrams are included for cities such as: London and Manchester, as well as larger areas such as: the North West and Yorkshire. Very informative, definitely worth a read.

In this article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/02/britain-accent-sound-foreign-snobs (last accessed 15th September),
Erica Buist, an 'accent coach', writes about her experiences with her clients, and the stories behind why they have decided to go 'accent coaching'. She discusses the attitudes held by some members of the public and employers towards people with foreign accents, revealing some interesting internalized bigotry within the world of work and society itself. An interesting read, for certain.

In this article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/200-languages-manchester-revealed-as-most-linguistically-diverse-city-in-western-europe-8760225.html (last accessed 15th September),
Jonathan Brown writes on the revelation that, with 200 spoken languages, is the most linguistically diverse and dense city in Western Europe, if not the world. In the article, he discusses the effects that this diversity could inflict upon trade and economy in Manchester, with new business ventures opening up as more multilingual staff are employed.

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