TeaBreak: accents, dialects, and varieties of English

In the fourth episode of ELTtime, we introduce a new feature: TeaBreak. A few of us here at Garnet grab a cuppa, and take half an hour to discuss something we’re passionate about within ELT. Today, Alice, Ella, Jaz and Rosie dive into why it’s problematic that RP is used as a standard, make some light-hearted observations about the differences between the way they speak, and discuss some interesting but bizarre Australian words – do you know what Manchester is? (And no, we don’t mean the city!) Let us know if you enjoyed the episode! Get in touch with any suggestions or questions – you can find us at @garneteducation everywhere! LINKSArticle: Is RP outdated? Article: Why people will beat machines in recognising speech for a long time yet Article: Australian English in the 20th century CHAPTERS0:20 – What’s TeaBreak? 1:03 – Introductions (Jaz, Alice, Ella and Rosie) 1:40 – Word (antipodean) Australia 2:21 – Alice’s Australian accent (8:45) 2:41 – Alice’s Background 3:12 – British and American spellings and pronunciations 3:53 – Non-English speakers and non-British 4:41 – Australian vs British words 8:08 – Australian stereotypes 8:22 – Australian word (galah) Scotland 8:59 – Rosie’s Scottish accent 9:39 – Alice’s Australian accent 10:02 – Is this a ‘dialect’ thing or a ‘my family’ thing? America 10:52 – Ella’s American background Received Pronunciation (RP) 11:23 – What is RP and why can it be problematic? 11:46 – Class and region divides in pronunciation 12:42 – Issues with digital activities Is there a ‘correct pronunciation’? 15:24 – Regional accent differences 16:02 – Slang and class 17:26 – Voice recognition and audio issues 19:02 – Students mimicking accents 19:49 – American media 20:07 – Australian word (Manchester) 21:00 – Australian idiom (shag on a rock) 21:34 – Final thoughts