MLE (multicultural London English)

[Snufkin]

Rural Suffolk still has one, it's quite distinctive, I encountered it in the factory and surrounding towns earlier this year, but I didn't hear it spoken by anyone under about 40.

Having recently moved to rural Suffolk, I can reassure you that the Suffolk accent is still a thing amongst the younger set. One of the decorators working where I live is probably early 20’s and has a distinct Suffolk accent. Over the ‘border’ in Norfolk the absence of Estuary English is even more apparent.

 

[gintonic]

I am guessing many of the posters on this thread don't have children, this is old news and all about them creating their own individuality whilst desperately confirming. Also yes language changes.

yes we know - i work with young people. And we know language evolves, some of the evolutions are transitory or confined to a generation....but the research is suggesting these changes could be x-generational.....and sticking to the generation for longer than other evolutions.

 

[miktec]

Apparently MLE will be the primary dialect of English spoken in the UK


https://www.theguardian.com/science...britons-speaking-multicultural-london-english

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-London-English-dominant-British-dialect.html

peng

.. and by 2030 we will be all going to work wearing hover-boots .......

The usual tosh predictions from journalists who don't get out much beyond London

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Having recently moved to rural Suffolk, I can reassure you that the Suffolk accent is still a thing amongst the younger set. One of the decorators working where I live is probably early 20’s and has a distinct Suffolk accent. Over the ‘border’ in Norfolk the absence of Estuary English is even more apparent.

I live and work in rural Suffolk. The upward inflection is dominant. It’s horrible, but I suppose the young think it sounds better than chewing on a swede.

@Tony L I've moved around a fair bit too. Essex > Bucks > Suffolk > Norfolk > N Yorks > County Durham > Lancs > Saudi > Essex > Cambridgeshire and now back in Suffolk. I might ask some guys at work where they’d say I’m from, if they can understand me.

 

[miktec]

... the only sensible point to be found in either of the crassly superficial pieces of pap:

"Experts believe as the dialect comes against regional accents it will start to have offshoots based on location within the country."

 

[gintonic]

The usual tosh predictions from journalists who don't get out much beyond London

nothing to do with journo's my sources are well published experts in Linguistics.....

for example among many https://www.york.ac.uk/language/research/projects/mle/

 

[Nic Robinson]

...sticking to the generation for longer than other evolutions.

How is this known?

 

[Snufkin]

In defence of Received Pronunciation and I know that’s not fashionable, mine is a mixture of that with a sprinkling of Saffend (being an Essex Boy). I found that when working with students from other countries I was often complimented for the clarity of my spoken English. Conversely some of my colleagues with strong regional accents had issues with students understanding them. It’s a difficult one because I know how your voice comes across can affect how people perceive you and how some may react to you; be it positive or negative.

 

[miktec]

nothing to do with journo's my sources are well published experts in Linguistics.....

for example among many https://www.york.ac.uk/language/research/projects/mle/

So you thought you would kick off instead with some clickbait links to get the ball rolling?

Cool strategy kiddo

 

[stevec67]

Having recently moved to rural Suffolk, I can reassure you that the Suffolk accent is still a thing amongst the younger set. One of the decorators working where I live is probably early 20’s and has a distinct Suffolk accent. Over the ‘border’ in Norfolk the absence of Estuary English is even more apparent.

Good news. Where I was staying in Harleston, which is just Norfolk and a 15 .minute walk to Suffolk, it was only the older people who had the distinctive accent. Small sample though.

 

[gintonic]

Cool strategy kiddo

eh?

 

[Mike Reed]

To me, born and raised in the south, the neutrality (supposedly) of accented English is a given, but I do often wonder if this southern intonation is perceived as such by those in strong regional accent areas like Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or even the more localised and identifiable regional accents like Geordie, Brummie and Scouse. In other words, does every region have its own distinctive sound or is there a neutral, akin to the Queen's English in pron., for example?

 

[Andy Stephenson]

Languages evolve - who knew.

If they didn't we'd still be speaking Medieval English.
The various influxes we've had over time, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Celts, Normans, Huguenots etc. etc. have all left their mark on the developing language we now speak. It's an ongoing thing. Estuary English is just the latest, innit bruv. I hate it, but can't see it stopping.
MLE, I've never heard of and have no wish to.

Andy

 

[miktec]

eh?

... over your head?

 

[gintonic]

i wonder if in 100 years time - if we could come back, whether we would recognizwe the language....? Id be gassed to try.....

 

[miktec]

MLE, I've never heard of and have no wish to.

Andy

Think Tim Westwood ...

(... and then vomit)

 

[gintonic]

... over your head?

of course - i bow to your intellectual superiority and trolling.

 

[Mike Reed]

Conversely some of my colleagues with strong regional accents had issues with students understanding them.

I'm sure I'm not alone with struggling with full-on Geordie and Glaswegian; I've often wondered why most language schools happen to be located in the southern counties.

 

[miktec]

nothing to do with journo's my sources are well published experts in Linguistics.....

Guess the pressure to achieve imposed research targets is getting 'em to come up with any old guff

 

[miktec]

of course - i bow to your intellectual superiority and trolling.

..thin straw - keep trying