Fancy a spot of Tea? - Received Pronunciation

'Fancy a spot of Tea?'

There seems to be some stirring going on and it isn't your afternoon tea that sits neatly next to your plate of scones. A recent comment inspired me to write this article, it said 'It's important that we teach children that, to get on, they must speak Standard English with an RP accent'. A view I shared but to a certain extent I disagreed with. For those not familiar with the dialectal study, RP ( meaning Received Pronunciation: the standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere. ) is what the everyday people would call a 'posh' voice. Although, is it really posh anymore? In my generation, this way of speaking is one of the most used as we were all brought up using it in school and during examinations. Other generations on the other hand, for example, our parents or grandparents would probably have stronger accents. 

In schools children are currently taught how to speak and write correctly, this is something that people aren't too keen on, some areas with extremely strong accents and dialects like Liverpool's famous 'scouse' accent. People are very patriotic in their own area, meaning they'd prefer their children to speak the way they speak. It's as if they choose to be separated, they feel more unique. 

This is a point that I do agree with, although they should be able to use RP as well, it's known that many people are multi-dialectal meaning they can switch between different sociolects and dialects, it's something we all naturally do when around different people. Children can do it as well, they should not be told that using their accent is wrong. It should be taught when it's appropriate to speak a certain way. 

It is not at all wrong for a child to have an accent, although it may give them a disadvantage when applying for a job that is why it is essential for children to know how to use Received Pronunciation and Standard English in the correct manner so that their chances are heightened. Although seen as prejudice it gives the employer the impression that they can pick up on things easily. So, in fact, it's very important for children to learn standard English and speak using an RP accent. Many people with the advanced use of pronunciation and elevated use of words will come across as more intelligent. It's due to RP being related to wealth and high forms of education. Employers want this when hiring staff. 

In brutality, it's your choice. It's the parents choice to whether their child uses RP or their own accent. You have to ask yourself the question, will it benefit my child? Yes, it's important and incredibly beneficial for the child to learn these dialects but it's still okay for children to use their own. It's all personal. 

At this time in the world, it's essential that we're all accepted. What we should think about is whether it's right in business to judge people simply for the way they speak.