Since English is one of the most widespread languages in the world, a vast number of varieties can be found all over the world. These varieties all differ from each other and are marked by regional and social aspects. Investigating these aspects helps to prevent misunderstandings (e.g. the same words meaning different things in different varieties) and offers a lot of information on historical topics. Very often research is done on geographically far away territories as it is the case between Britain and America. This is a pity since there are a lot of varieties within British border which are worth being discussed. That is why this paper deals with a regional variety situated in England: The south-western variety. This essay will give an overview on the English spoken in the Southwest of England.
But before the essay is focused on this regional variety chapter two will present dialectology to the reader. What is dialectology? Which are its aims? Where is the difference between Dialect and Accent? Why is observing regional variation so important? To what extend influences social status the occurrence of a social variation? All these questions will be dealt with in chapter two in order to make the reader aware of the importance of language study and especially dialectology.
Chapter 3 then will deal with ‘English in the Southwest’. After a short presentation of the difficulties of locating exactly ‘south-western’, the boundaries of the regional variation are defined. Next will be a presentation of characteristics of the region in order to make the in the next chapter presented features of south-western language easier to understand.
The presentation of linguistic features will include phonetics, grammar and lexis. It will be based on Martyn F. Wakelin’s The Southwest of England, since not much research has been done on that topic and the work of Wakelin seems to be the most adequate for this paper. Furthermore, this essay will not present every feature which can be found when talking about the dialect. Mentioning all would not be capable for an essay of this size, hence shall the reader keep in mind that the features and examples are only a subjective selection by the author and could be extended endlessly. The last part of this essay will be a conclusion, summing up what was said in the term paper.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Dialectology
- What is Dialectology? Dialect vs. Accent
- Regional Variation
- Traditional vs. Mainstream Dialects
- English in the Southwest of England
- Boundaries of South-western England
- Characteristics of the area
- Features of Southwest English
- Phonetic Features
- Grammatical Features
- Lexical Features
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to present an overview of English as spoken in the Southwest of England, highlighting its regional variation and exploring the key features that distinguish it from other varieties of English. The paper begins by introducing the field of dialectology, outlining its goals and exploring the differences between dialect and accent. It then moves on to define the boundaries of South-western English and discuss the characteristics of the region. The paper concludes with a detailed analysis of the phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features of Southwest English.- The importance of studying regional variation in language
- The distinction between dialect and accent
- The historical and social factors that influence regional variation
- The unique features of Southwest English
- The importance of acknowledging the linguistic equality of all varieties of English
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter introduces the topic of regional variation in English, emphasizing the linguistic equality of all varieties. It argues for the importance of studying regional variations, particularly in England, to gain a better understanding of language diversity and its historical development. The chapter then introduces the focus of the paper: Southwest English.Chapter 2: Dialectology
This chapter provides a detailed explanation of dialectology, defining key terms such as dialect, accent, and language. It explores the aims of dialectological research, emphasizing its goal of promoting understanding and tolerance of different language varieties. The chapter also discusses the impact of regional and social factors on language variation.Chapter 3: English in the Southwest of England
This chapter focuses on the specific characteristics of Southwest English. It outlines the boundaries of the region and describes the geographical and social characteristics that have shaped its language. The chapter then presents a detailed analysis of the distinct phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features of Southwest English, drawing on the work of Martyn F. Wakelin.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of the text are: regional variation, dialectology, dialect, accent, language, Southwest English, phonetic features, grammatical features, lexical features, Martyn F. Wakelin. This paper explores the linguistic diversity of English, highlighting the importance of studying regional variation and appreciating the linguistic equality of all varieties. It focuses specifically on Southwest English, examining its unique features and highlighting the impact of regional and social factors on language change.- Citation du texte
- Jens Strohmeyer (Auteur), 2008, English in the Southwest of England, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/118299
