Classism and accent prejudice in our universities

Ngaio1

Biba? I adore the South African accent!!? Isn't the important thing that people can be clearly understood? Having said that, I watched a very interesting programme about Henry VIII this week and parts of it were marred by a speaker who had a very odd accent - her voice did take away some of the enjoyment.

Well yes, many loved family members have a strong ZA accent- but that is not the point. We were told to get rid of regional accents but someone who had a very strong regional accent himself - not sure if he was aware of it or not.

Just saw this on FB ,its in todays Scotsman ,written by a 21 year old student from Airdrie Pennie says her mums a teacher and although she has to speak english english at school she's happy to speak her mother tongue and is happy her daughter speaks it too.

Pennie’s poem in full:
‘I’m no’ havin’ children, ‘am gonnae hae weans,
And ye can ask what a cry them, no ‘what are their names’
And they’ll be getting a piece, no a wee ‘packed lunch’
And they’ll be haein a scran, no ‘having a munch’
They’ll fanny aboot, they won’t waste time
When they write their wee poyums, I’ll make sure they rhyme.
I’m no ‘having children’, am gonna hae weans,
Who’ll be gowpin and bealin’ when they’ve goat aches and pains
And instead of ‘don’t worry’, a’ll say ‘dinnae fash’,
Instead of ‘stand your ground’, ‘dinnae take any snash’
Ma weans will be crabbit, no ‘in a bad mood'
And they’ll greet, no ‘cry’ when their day isnae good.
I’m no ‘having children’, am gonna hae weans,
With a proud ancient language crammed in their wee brains
An whenever life tells them their English is bad
I’ll tell them the hassles that their mammy had
And a’ll say ma maw’s words till the day that am deid
‘Ye’ll be alright hen, ye’ve a guid Scots tongue in yer heid.’

John Bishop's scouse accent is somewhat manufactured. He was born in Liverpool but grew up in Cheshire

Oh no, I wish I hadn't read that!

I do like St John, saviour of whales

If you're a scouser you will ordinarily be able to understand scouse

Should add, it wasn’t the Geordies, either. She really liked the Geordies.

It works both ways. One of my dds, who has a normal RP accent, not cut-glass upper-crust, was regularly unpleasantly taunted by northern students at Newcastle University - ‘Oh, you’re from the south, you’re rich and posh. I bet your parents have a big house/flash cars’ etc.
They never listened to her denials - they didn’t want to hear.
There were a lot of chips on shoulders.

LauraNorder

Sorry Alegrias my post wasn’t clear. I find Kenny Dalgeish impossible to understand. I did live in Liverpool in my early and mid teens so do understand John Bishop but many of my Welsh friends don’t.
Mild regional accents are lovely but some are so strong that they are difficult to understand.

Thanks Laura I'm interested in how people understand Scots accents (or not!) I'm Scots but when I talk to my mum my DH doesn't understand us ?

John Bishop's scouse accent is somewhat manufactured. He was born in Liverpool but grew up in Cheshire

Mr Minty is scouse but over the years its softened somewhat. Probably due to the fact we're not living in Liverpool

I must say that I love a scouse accent myself

And Manc. And Belfast.

I'm an RP speaker due to my schooling and parents

I've been called lots of hilarious things in the past

Sorry Alegrias my post wasn’t clear. I find Kenny Dalgeish impossible to understand. I did live in Liverpool in my early and mid teens so do understand John Bishop but many of my Welsh friends don’t.
Mild regional accents are lovely but some are so strong that they are difficult to understand.

welbeck

Nannan2

Would you not expect to hear a North East accent in Durham uni then?because I would.This makes no sense at all tbh?

that's the point. the attitude that the univ is not for the likes of the locals.

Durham Uni has a reputation for being snobby and being for Oxbridge rejects. I honestly don't know whether it's true that it's snobby, but that is its reputation. Maybe it does attract such people.

The North East generally has the lowest number in the country of sixth formers going to university, so maybe there is some truth that "locals" are looked down on for their accents.

Biba? I adore the South African accent!!? Isn't the important thing that people can be clearly understood? Having said that, I watched a very interesting programme about Henry VIII this week and parts of it were marred by a speaker who had a very odd accent - her voice did take away some of the enjoyment.

I'm trying to work out whether "posh oiks" is an oxymoron gagajo?

Exactly EV. I did much better than the UC students. There's a lot to be said for having to bury yourself in your books. In my case, because I was working 3 jobs to pay for it.

*LauraNorder", do you mean that Kenny Dalgleish and John Bishop are or aren't understandable? Sorry, its not clear to me.

I did my post grad work at Sussex. It was badly snobbish. Fortunately I was a mature student and not worried about what a bunch of posh oiks thought. It was definitely present tho.

Luckylegs In a box somewhere, amongst other treasures from my children’s young days, I have a delightful letter written to DD2 in response to a letter she had sent to Kellogg’s. It finished up ‘Thank you so much for writing to us with your observations.’

DD was about 7. We had no idea that she had written to Kellogg’s, or what form her ‘observations’ had taken ?

Ellianne some of the students from privileged backgrounds exude more confidence, though this is often tinged with arrogance.

Plead guilty to confidence with a tinge of arrogance - in order to keep familiar young men at bay. A wonderful period of my life and great fun!

Ellianne Are you sure it wasn't Michael Caine incognito and "Educating Rita"?

Good post Doodledog.
I do think the days of TV presenters speaking the queen’s English gave us all something to aspire to without losing regional accents altogether.
We do need to be understood everywhere and not just in our own area, think Kenny Dalgeish outside Scotland, John Bishop outside Liverpool and many others but accent is never a measure of intelligence.
I went to uni in Brisbane Australia and was considered posh even with a slight scouse twang simply because I was English

When I went to Uni as a mature student to do my teaching Degree- the Head of the Poly gave all new students a welcome lecture. He really pushed the point that anyone with a strong regional accent should learn to tone it down, or get rid, if they want to get promotion in their career ... in a really strong, extremely clipped, South African accent.

another male student, a local, reported that the local univ bar staff refused to admit him as they did not believe he was a student. how could he be, he sounded just like them...
similar things happened to students dining in college.

Nannan2

Would you not expect to hear a North East accent in Durham uni then?because I would.This makes no sense at all tbh?

that's the point. the attitude that the univ is not for the likes of the locals.

It is the incomers mocking the "local yokels" Nannan2.

Would you not expect to hear a North East accent in Durham uni then?because I would.This makes no sense at all tbh?

Bit of inverted snobbery around regarding names it seems. I did once write to the BBC and complain about Tim Wonnacott on Bargain Hunt who frequently mocked the northern accent.