Attitudes to Spoken Language Controlled Assessment 3: Spoken Language Analysing how speakers adapt for different purposes Using Spoken Language Features Public attitudes to spoken language Note to teachers As a minimum you will need: -Slide 3 on A3 -Copies of the charts back to back so each student has 4 -Economist article -Slide 15: example writing

Use your placemat to explore speech traits Cultural stereotypes are rife in TV and each of the presenters to the right adapt their language for audience and purpose. Audiences expect certain things of their presenters and so they use both convergence and divergence to meet these expectations of public attitudes. Using your placemat, for each presenter/presenters make a note of how they appeal to different audiences, what stereotypes we might have of them and what specific language features you would expect.

Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress

Same Different Now take two different presenters and complete a same different table to compare and contrast their language use. Think about how the public would respond to their language in use and the context of the TV show. Could you say something interesting about regional identity, gender or age and link this to public expectations?

Your personal response Controlled Assessment 3: Spoken Language Analysing how speakers adapt for different purposes Using Spoken Language Features Public attitudes to spoken language As we watch the next four brief clips, consider your own perception of the language in use and then explore how you feel different audiences would react. As an extension, annotate around your tables to consider age, gender, regional factors etc…

Your personal response Hairy Bikers – until Gabby Logan – until 58 secs Angela Rippon – until 57 secs Ant and Dec – 2.58 – Controlled Assessment 3: Spoken Language Analysing how speakers adapt for different purposes Using Spoken Language Features Public attitudes to spoken language Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress

Situational phrases For the following excerpts from TV shows consider how different audiences would respond depending on: their gender, regional origin, age, the time the show was broadcast, social class and any other contextual factors you feel are important “Nah man, it’s toon, toon, black and white army” Ant and Dec – I’m a Celebrity Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress

Situational phrases For the following excerpts from TV shows consider how different audiences would respond depending on: their gender, regional origin, age, the time the show was broadcast, social class and any other contextual factors you feel are important Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress “Yes, the cruise ship Costa Concordia suffered a grisly sea smash that left it looking like someone had driven the Chrysler building into a pond” Charlie Brooker – Screen Wipe: 9:00pm

Situational phrases For the following excerpts from TV shows consider how different audiences would respond depending on: their gender, regional origin, age, the time the show was broadcast, social class and any other contextual factors you feel are important Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress “Do you want to look at the soggy bottom?” Mary Berry - GBBO

Situational phrases For the following excerpts from TV shows consider how different audiences would respond depending on: their gender, regional origin, age, the time the show was broadcast, social class and any other contextual factors you feel are important Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress “I’ll tell him where to go with a fried egg. B*****ks. Bring him here” Gordon Ramsey – Hell’s Kitchen (after customer complaint)

Cultural/Social change Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress As we watch this clip, think about how the language of TV presenters has matched that of cultural and social change. How do you think different audiences would respond to this broadcast if it was played today?

What about good old Brucie?! Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress Bruce is a fairly controversial presenter who divides audiences. How might different people respond considering their gender, age and social class etc…

Read the article Controlled Assessment 3: Spoken Language Analysing how speakers adapt for different purposes Using Spoken Language Features Public attitudes to spoken language Ahead of your assessment you will need to gather articles, questionnaires and any other relevant data on public attitudes. Obviously, this will have to be specific to your presenters but we will use a generic study today and I will show you how to use it in your response alongside some data I’ve transcribed. Firstly read the article and highlight anything interesting that you think you can use.

Using this transcript… A: Hello and welcome (.) to Saturday Night Takeaway A: Yes (1.0) wer back to liven up ya Saturday nights with the show that says don’t just watch the adverts (.) win them (2.0) Yes (.) get in (.) get in I’m well excited about tonight (2.0) I’m excited are you excited D: I am (1.0) but a have to be honest (1.0) it’s tinged with just a little bit (.) a little bit of disappointment A: I nah Idiolect Sociolect Taboo Language Colloquialisms Convergence Divergence Accent and Dialect Subject specific lexis Standard English Pitch Tempo Tone Volume Stress

Example writing Interestingly, the language used by TV presenters reflects wider social and cultural change. Thus, whilst presenters in the past may have relied upon Standard English, modern TV showcases an array of different accents. Ant and Dec are no exception to this and are credited in being behind the proliferation of the Geordie dialect. In a recent study for Lancaster University Paul Kerswill found that ‘variations of the north-eastern “Geordie” accent are not only retaining their distinctiveness but conquering fresh territory ‘. Indeed, on the map cited it appears that the Geordie accent is increasing in prestige. This is evident in transcript A as Ant and Dec use a range of dialect specific to the North East. From Ant commenting that ‘wer back to liven up ya Saturday nights’ to Dec pronouncing ‘I’ as ‘a’ they both use deletions and an informal style. Contextually, this language in use is important. They are presenting a prime time Saturday night show and so whilst they use convergence in not using taboo language to please the audience, they do use divergence in using lots of colloquialisms. When I asked my parents whether the use of slang in TV worried them they answered ‘do not agree’ but this may because they use slang themselves. When I asked my grandparents though they did ‘agree’ that it worried them the way language is used on TV. Here there seems to be an age gap – they go for the traditional since this was the standard they grew up with. Therefore, when Ant later says ‘I nah’ he is at risk of alienating some audiences who might fail to understand his true meaning. Despite this, considering Kerswill’s claim that these words gain in prestige across the country, the boys are perhaps right not to adapt to their audience in a traditional way. In transcript B, Dec says…

Reflection Now take time to explore some of your language data: could you use any of the article we have just read? What are your next steps to find relevant information on public attitudes? Now annotate your data in reflection of what we have explored today on public attitudes. Controlled Assessment 3: Spoken Language Analysing how speakers adapt for different purposes Using Spoken Language Features Public attitudes to spoken language