In Accents^x, Dialects^x

Just to stick my 'twopennworth' in, surely RP has never really been spoken in England to any great degree? The accent of the seriously upper classes, i.e. royalty, isn't true RP either and is quite incomprehensible at times. The only person I can think of as a really good example of RP is...

Robertson thank you for your comments. I'm afraid you have missed the gist of what I am trying to say. What I did say is that a way of speaking English which is understood by all is what we should all be aiming at. Too heavy an accent or drawl may make it difficult to be understood. Where are you...

"Dominant accents may not be the ones that are ideal for communication on the international scene" I don't understand this sentence. What important are our accents for communication.? "Are the British risking the possibility of not being generally understood by non native speakers and the...

Yes I agree that English is a difficult language to learn and we have many rules and irregular rules at that! And yes, you will find that some Brits do not have 100% perfect formal grammar or spelling. People under 45 may have more problems than older people as there was an education...

Hey CalifJim, There is definitely no need to be sorry. You obviously feel different than I do, which is perfectly acceptable. Allow me to elaborate more on why I feel the way I do. If someone has already received an answer to a question, then why are they asking the same question again?...

I am British and would love to give some advice on British accents, including the South London dialect...ooops...sorry...Sarf Landun. One question though...just why is the font in this site so tiny? I have only just found this site and haven't registered yet so this is a guest posting. Sandy ...

I love to hear English which is well spoken and with not too heavy an accent. I have listened to Australians, Canadians, Germans etc. who speak English well and it really is a great joy. An Indian Judge I spoke to really had mastered the language beautifully. I must admit that I have been...

Thank you for your detailed explanations bunkadelic. I always think of a standard English as one that everyone who speaks the language can understand. A norm of sorts. Dominant accents may not be the ones that are ideal for communication on the international scene. Are the British risking the...

Well yes David, I would say that Estuary English is the dominant accent in Southern England these days and that's what I mean by "standard". To quote the nationmaster website that Jason mentions: "Estuary English is the form of the English language common in the South-East of England,...

Bunkadelick Iam intrigued by your standard "Southern English". Are you sure that is correct?. Perhaps I'm moving in the wrong circles but I know of very few with a cross between RP and cockney.