U cannot deny there exists a thing like prestige. Accent itself is innocent. But the prestige of a certain accent is certainly sth people impose on it. Remember: we live in a world of opinions. Accents live in a world of people with value judgements, not a world of stone-hearted people with no life.
Is London dialect the most prestigious accent in the world?
''The Surfer Dude/Valley Girl speak is NOT the standard, nor is it considered prestigious. ''
Surfer Dude/Valley Girl is not the only accent in California. There is a more traditional form, Californian version of the West dialect, spoken by 90% of Californians. Not every Californian sounds like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless.
Surfer Dude/Valley Girl is not the only accent in California. There is a more traditional form, Californian version of the West dialect, spoken by 90% of Californians. Not every Californian sounds like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless.
Also, there is a Californian shift in Denver too, in the speech of local newscasters.
Try local news from Denver: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/index.html
and http://cbs4denver.com/
Face it, Californian accent is prestigious.
Try local news from Denver: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/index.html
and http://cbs4denver.com/
Face it, Californian accent is prestigious.
The most prestigious accent in the world? The London accents aren't even the most prestigious accents in England, innit.
<<Not every Californian sounds like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless>>
true, but that's how the dialect of california sounds to the rest of us... i lived out there for four years (and it looks like I'll be moving back) and I stand by the fact that the CA accent is neither the standard nor the most prestigious.
true, but that's how the dialect of california sounds to the rest of us... i lived out there for four years (and it looks like I'll be moving back) and I stand by the fact that the CA accent is neither the standard nor the most prestigious.
<<Face it, Californian accent is prestigious.>>
To whose point of view? A lot of Southerners would think that the California dialect was unbearably cloying.
To whose point of view? A lot of Southerners would think that the California dialect was unbearably cloying.
''A lot of Southerners would think that the California dialect was unbearably cloying.''
But many of them would find Californian accent pleasant because of flat vowels, light intonation and lack of nasality.
But many of them would find Californian accent pleasant because of flat vowels, light intonation and lack of nasality.
''I stand by the fact that the CA accent is neither the standard nor the most prestigious.''
I think you're jealous, that's all.
Many people from Nevada can't stand lovely California.
That's the difference between being liberal and progressive (California) vs
rural and conservative (Nevada).
I think you're jealous, that's all.
Many people from Nevada can't stand lovely California.
That's the difference between being liberal and progressive (California) vs
rural and conservative (Nevada).
Prestigious or not, I'm fascinated by the Californian accent, and everything related to California by the way.
<<But many of them would find Californian accent pleasant because of flat vowels, light intonation and lack of nasality.>>
Possibly; I haven't lived in the South in 28 years. CVS is newer than that.
I can tell you that, 1) when I was in Tennessee, I thought the California dialect nasty, and 2) nowadays, I find that, out of all the GA dialects, the CVS, I assess, is pleasant--for the same reasons you've mentioned.
I don't know what modern-day Southerners think of CVS.
I should have qualified my statements. Mea culpa.
<<I think you're jealous, that's all.
Many people from Nevada can't stand lovely California. >>
I don't think so. I find the Nevada dialect---despite the fact that I have picked up some of it through osmosis--much less pleasant than CVS. :-P
The Northern Nevada dialect, in particular, is characterized by a lot of dipthongization of vowels (for example, the short "a" sound in the word "that"). It sounds especially cloying--worse than many other GA dialects.
Possibly; I haven't lived in the South in 28 years. CVS is newer than that.
I can tell you that, 1) when I was in Tennessee, I thought the California dialect nasty, and 2) nowadays, I find that, out of all the GA dialects, the CVS, I assess, is pleasant--for the same reasons you've mentioned.
I don't know what modern-day Southerners think of CVS.
I should have qualified my statements. Mea culpa.
<<I think you're jealous, that's all.
Many people from Nevada can't stand lovely California. >>
I don't think so. I find the Nevada dialect---despite the fact that I have picked up some of it through osmosis--much less pleasant than CVS. :-P
The Northern Nevada dialect, in particular, is characterized by a lot of dipthongization of vowels (for example, the short "a" sound in the word "that"). It sounds especially cloying--worse than many other GA dialects.
Well I'm not from Nevada, I actually just moved from California and am planning on moving back. The fact of the matter is, the Standard dialect for Americans tends to be the neutral, "accent-less" dialect of the urban west. Or, for a caricature which I hope no one actually speaks, the dry accent of Christian Bale in American Psycho.
Maybe I'm biased because I spent my time with folks in their late teens and early 20s, and their accent is more pronounced... Either way, I'd rather listen to a Texas girl :-)
Maybe I'm biased because I spent my time with folks in their late teens and early 20s, and their accent is more pronounced... Either way, I'd rather listen to a Texas girl :-)
In American Psycho, however, he speaks with a neutral American accent.
"Is London dialect the most prestigious accent in the world?"
No.
Next question please.
No.
Next question please.
<< Is London dialect the most prestigious accent in the world? >>
No.
I got laughed at by my classmates at school for speaking with a British accent. (I went to school in Southeast Asia, btw.)
In many countries American English is definitely the most prestigious accent.
No.
I got laughed at by my classmates at school for speaking with a British accent. (I went to school in Southeast Asia, btw.)
In many countries American English is definitely the most prestigious accent.