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Е. В. Захарова язык и культура великобритании в условиях европейской интеграции предисловие данное учебное пособие

Вид материалаУчебное пособие
Unit ix. future pronunciation norm – rp or cockney ?
Ii. vocabulary focus
Iv. speaking personally
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UNIT IX. FUTURE PRONUNCIATION NORM – RP OR COCKNEY ?




I.READING COMPREHENSION


A. Pre-reading Task. Answer the following questions:


1) Do you know what ‘Cockney’ means? Is it a separate dialect or just a variety of English?

2) Do you think Cockney is typical of urban or rural areas?


B. Now read and translate the text. You can make use of the following words and word-combinations:


Investigation – исследование

Survey – изучение, исследование

Empirical – практические, эмпирические

Data – данные

Advance (v) – способствовать

Insight – проникновение в суть ч-л; понимание

Inhabitant – обитатель

Overt – открытый, очевидный

Covert – скрытый

Phonological – (лингв.) фонологический

Innovation – новшество

Rhyming – рифмующийся

contribute – внести вклад

replace – заменить

shorten – сокращать

adopt – (лингв.) заимствовать (без изменения формы)

virtually – фактически

inconceivable – немыслимый, невообразимый

glottal stop – (лингв.) твердый приступ

vowel – гласный звук

estuary - устье

vicinity – окрестности

valley – долина


The varieties of urban British English have enjoyed increasing attention from linguists in the past few decades. Some of the better known investigations have had to do with Norwich in East Anglia, Glasgow and Belfast. Urban language surveys have not only provided a great deal of systematic, empirical data; they have also helped to advance insights into how people identify themselves linguistically and into some of the roles which language plays in modern urban society.

Of all the urban varieties of English in the British Isles, Cockney, the urban variety is doubtless the best known. Traditionally, a Cockney is an inhabitant of London’s East End. But from the point of view of language Cockney or near-Cockney can be heard throughout the city. In general, it is a working class accent, and as such it has little or no overt prestige. Its covert prestige, however, is enormous. In the form of it which is sometimes described as London English, it is today the most influential source of phonological innovation in England and perhaps in the whole English-speaking world.

The grammar of Cockney is basically of the non-standard type. Its vocabulary is equally unexceptional. However, it is well known for its rhyming slang. This is not an exclusively Cockney feature, nor is it typical of the everyday speech of most Cockneys. But it does help to contribute to the image of Cockney as colourful. In rhyming slang a word is replaced by a pair of words, the second of which rhymes with the one replaced. For example, my wife may disappear in favour of my trouble and strife or, positively, my fork and knife .The new pair is often shortened so that someone may say Use your loaf instead of Use your loaf of bread; both mean the same: Use your head. The expression Let’s get down to brass tacks (‘Let’s get down to business’) is originally rhyming slang (brass tacks = the facts), though few people realize this.

What is most distinctive about Cockney is its pronunciation; and what is significant about this is the fact that Cockney pronunciation have often indicated the way in which RP was eventually to develop. This does not mean, of course ,that RP will indeed adopt all of the points which are mentioned below; for many of them are so highly stigmatized that adoption of them in RP and near-RP varieties is, in many cases, virtually inconceivable in the immediate future (H-dropping, Cockney vowels, more extreme forms of the use of the glottal stop etc.).

Estuary English (London regional English) is a form of English that seems to be developing in London and its vicinity (the Thames Estuary and the lower Thames valley).It shares the less stigmatized features of Cockney and may be on its way to becoming competition to RP as the pronunciation norm in Britain, as evidenced by the spread of some of its features to cities far removed from the London area (e.g. Bristol, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow).


C. Write questions to go with these answers:


1) They have had to do with Norwich, Glasgow and Belfast.

2) Yes, they provided a great deal of systematic data.

3) It is Cockney that is the best known.

4) It can be heard throughout the city.

5) Because it is a working class accent.

6) Yes, it is enormous.

7) It is basically of the non-standard type.

8) The pronunciation is the most distinctive feature of it.

9) It is a form of English that seems to be developing in London and its vicinity.

10) Some of its features are spread in cities far removed from the London area.


II. VOCABULARY FOCUS

.

A. Translate the following words and word-combinations into Russian:


To enjoy attention; to provide a great deal of data; throughout the city; enormous; to be unexceptional; in favour of; to be stigmatized; in the immediate future; to share the features; to be on the way to smth.


Reproduce the situations in the text in which they are given.


B. Find the English equivalents in the text:


За прошедшие несколько десятилетий; современное городское общество; без сомнения; с точки зрения языка; в общем; англоговорящий мир; крайние формы; составить конкуренцию чему-либо; в равной мере; быть типичным для кого-либо.


Use them in sentences of your own


C. Match the words which collocate with each other:

1. influential a. slang

2. rhyming b. variety

3. colourful c. speech

4. urban d. source

5. everyday e. image


D. Match the words which are close in their meaning:

1. shorten a. awareness

2. adopt b. diminish

3. overt c. factual

4. empirical d. accept

5. insight e. obvious


E. Match the words having the opposing meaning:

1. overt a. amplify

2. adopt b. ignorance

3. shorten c. hypothetical

4. empirical d. hidden

5. insight e. reject


F. Match the words and their definitions:



1) a low area of land between two mountains or hills usually with a river flowing through it.
a. to contribute

2) the area near a particular place
b. inconceivable

3) impossible to think about or imagine
c. insight

4) to give money, goods, or your time
d. valley

5) the ability to notice and understand a lot about people
e. vicinity


G. Translate the following sentences into Russian:


1) Their house has wonderful views across the valley.

2) This school is somewhere in the vicinity of London.

3) It may have inconceivable consequences.

4) Many local business offered to contribute to the school rebuilding fund.

5) Children can sometimes show quite remarkable insight.


H. Insert prepositions where necessary (on, by, to, into, in, for, of):

1) to be known ___ smth

2) to be typical __ smb, smth

3) to contribute __ smth

4) __ favour __ smth

5) to be replaced __ smth

6) to mention __ smth

7) to be __ the way __ smth

8) insights __ smth


I. Complete the sentences using the words in the box:

contribute stigmatized inhabitant

rhyming slang vicinity


1) Traditionally, a Cockney is an __ of London’s East End.

2) Estuary English is a form of English that seems to be developing in London and its __.

3) It shares the less __ features of Cockney.

4) However, it is well known for its __.

5) But it does help to __ to the image of Cockney as colourful.


J. In what meanings are the following words used in the text:


1) to advance

a. to move forward and towards someone or something

b. to progress and become better or more developed

c. to suggest something for people to consider

d. to give or lend someone money before the usual time


2) to replace

a. to get rid or someone or something and put a new person or thing in their place

b. to do someone’s job after they leave it

c. to put something back in its correct place or position.


3) survey

a. to ask a large member or people questions to find out their opinion.

b. to look at or examine something.


III.INTERPRETATION

A. Paraphrase the following statements and comment on them:


1) In general, it is a working class accent, and as such it has little or no overt prestige.

2) It shares the less stigmatized features of Cockney and may be on its way to becoming competition to RP as the pronunciation norm in Britain.

3) But it does help to contribute to the image of Cockney as colourful.


B. Answer the following questions:


1) Why do you think the varieties of urban British English have enjoyed increasing attention from linguists? What makes them interested in those varieties?

2) Do you think the role of the language in modern urban society is changing? How?

3) How did Cockney, a working class accent, come to get an enormous covert prestige?

4) Do you happen to know any examples of Cockney rhyming slang?

5) Why do you think RP is getting less prestigious and Cockney pronunciation is gaining momentum?

6) May Cockney or Estuary English become competition to RP?


IV. SPEAKING PERSONALLY


Discuss with your partners the following statement: ‘Urban language surveys (…) have also helped to advance insights into how people identify themselves linguistically (…)’.


Give your own opinion concerning the linguistic identification. How is it manifested?


You may make use of the following expressions:

From the point of view of…

I think /suppose, guess, believe, dare say/…

Personally I believe /I feel/…

In my opinion /view/…

As I see it…

The way I see it…