61 B1+ | 6. Klasse | READING | The English-speaking world/Intercultural issues Section C An accent, on the other hand, refers only to differences in the sound patterns of a specific dialect. One of the biggest differences between Geordie and RP is that, in Geordie, the ‘r’s at the end of words aren’t pronounced and tend to be pronounced as ‘ah’ instead. So a word like ‘sugar’ becomes ‘sug-ah’. And a word like, say, ‘Space Centre’ becomes ‘Space Cent-ah’. The Northern Irish accent is deemed to be a strong, yet beautiful one. One of the first differences people notice about the English spoken in Northern Ireland is how many letters seem to be missing from words when people speak it. For example, ‘Northern Ireland’ would be pronounced more like ‘Norn Iron’. The Liverpool accent, known as ‘Scouse’, is another famous regional accent. It’s very nasal – having a particular sound because air is going through the nose when the person speaks – so it’s quite hard to imitate. Section D For many years, certain English dialects and accents have been viewed more positively than others. A lot of us make assumptions based on the way people speak, judging certain accents as too posh, harsh, aggressive, cold, ‘laughable’ or ‘common’. Unfortunately, many individuals have suffered as a result of this irrational belief as no one dialect is better at communicating meaning than another. The fact that some dialects and accents are seen to be more prestigious than others is more a reflection of judgements based on social rather than linguistic criteria. As our lives become increasingly similar, the vocabulary, structure and sounds that define the speech of a particular region should be, and indeed are for many speakers, a source of great pride and an important expression of cultural identity. Did you answer every question correctly? If you got a question wrong, check again to see why you made a mistake. 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 A explains which British accent is most often heard on a particular radio station. 0 explains that people from one part of the UK tend to drop letters from words when they pronounce them. 1 suggests that in the UK there is a certain amount of snobbery associated with someone’s accent or dialect. 2 defines what a dialect is. 3 refers to a commonly used expression which doesn’t actually communicate the truth. 4 states that one particular accent in the UK is difficult to copy. 5 explains that accent is strongly linked to how people see themselves. 6 mentions how one particular group of workers still speak. 7 explains how people from one part of the UK might pronounce the word ‘visitor’. 8 This section of the article … Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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