Upton’s Model of RP: based on a research study into the current awareness of speakers and respondents of English

Bc. Miroslav Ježek, Ph.D.

Master's thesis

Anotácia:

Diplomova prace se zabyva vyslovnostnim standardem anglickeho jazyka (RP), jak z diachronickeho, tak i synchronickeho pohledu. Jednim z jejich cilu je predstavit transkripcni model vytvoreny prof. Uptonem, zvazit jeho sociolingivisticke i foneticko-fonologicke vyhody a nevyhody. Tezistem prakticke casti prace je webova stranka obsahujici nahravky rodilych mluvcich a dotazniky, ktere byly vyplneny ceskymi a anglickymi respondenty. Tyto dotazniky umoznuji posoudit roli, kterou ma RP v obou zminenych zemich, a posoudit moderni trendy, ktere se v RP vyskytuji.

Abstract:

At the beginning, the present thesis offers both diachronic and synchronic insight into the sociolinguistic status of RP in England. Its main objective is to introduce and weigh the pros and cons of the transcription model of RP devised by Upton. The practical part of the thesis centres around a website with recordings of native speakers of English. The website was launched with a view to gathering ample data from Czech and English respondents. The data enable to establish the role of RP in the given countries as well as to trace the recent innovations in RP and assess the respondents’ awareness to them.

Keywords

phonetics, linguistics, dialectology, Received Pronunciation, RP, accent, standardisation, prescriptivism, Upton, model

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 14. 5. 2009

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 18. 6. 2009
• Vedúci: prof. PhDr. Ludmila Urbanová, CSc.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / odbor:
Philology / English Language and Literature