Question 1:
Out of the ten people that participated in my questionnaire, nine of them spoke with an Essex accent and one spoke with a Geordie accent.
Question 2:
Out of the ten people that participated in my questionnaire, there were two who were lower class, one who was working class, six who were upper middle class and one who was higher class. The one participant with a Geordie accent was one of the lower-class answerers, which is interesting as Northern areas are stereotypically lower class areas.
Question 3:
All ten participants answered that they thought Received Pronunciation was the most professional accent. This shows that, despite differences in accents and origins in participants, we have a clear idea as to what sounds professional. This is interesting as a lower-class Northerner may become defensive when contrasted against a higher-class member of society, especially one which is linked to being in and around London.
Question 4:
Six of the participants thought that a Scouse accent is least professional and the remaining four thought that a Geordie was least professional. It is interesting to find that both of the Northern accents were perceived to be less professional. This may be linked to the fact that London, which is a business city and is stereotyped to be full of men in suits and with a professional atmosphere, so Southern accents would be linked to this.
Question 5:
Nine out of the ten participants said that they watch BBC News shows, all of whom said they found them interesting and informative. The one person that said they didn't watch BBC News shows was the person who spoke with a Geordie accent. This may also be due to the North/South divide in the country, again where Northerners have negative perceptions of those in the South.
Question 6:
Six participants, including the participant with the Geordie accent, said they do stereotype those who speak proper English as being posh or ‘stuck-up’. This may be due to the lack of people who speak Standard English and it is mainly owe in positions of authority such as politicians or royalty.
Question 7:
Two participants said they feel isolated or limited by their accent. The participant with a Geordie accent said that they felt that by living in Essex people were weary of them and their accent due to it being different. They also felt that their opportunities in the workplace were limited as a result of their accent, especially higher paid jobs in the city of London. This may be due to the fact that their accent is not what is expected and stereotypically is not intelligent.
Question 8:
All of the participants said that they do alter their lexical choice depending on their surroundings. The general ideal was that it was in order to make the lexis appropriate for the situation. For example, there is no need to use the technical words needed at a business meeting when having a conversation over the dinner table. This is completely normal and most people do so without realising or thinking about it.
Question 9:
Two participants answered below 6, the same two who said they felt isolated and limited by their accent. This is most likely a factor in them being uncomfortable with their accent, because they feel as though they are not being accepted as a result of their accent.
Question 10:
Two of the ten participants said they would change their accent in order to feel more comfortable and make themselves more appealing to employees. Again, this was the same two participants who felt isolated and limited by their accent. The remaining eight participants would not change their accent, mainly because they felt it made them who they are.
