British Dialects tend to be characterized geographically by three major regions:

• Southern British

• Northern British

• British Midlands.

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Southern British:

Linguistic History:                  Southern England tends to focus upon London, which functions as the hub of the British empire.                                                               Contemporary society emphasizes multiculturalism.

 

Common occupations:         Business and trade

 

Geography:                             Includes Thames river, rolling countryside

 

Common dialects:                    Sussex, Kentish, North London, Cockney, South London, Estuary

 

Dialects of focus:                    North London (Multicultural), Cockney, Kentish, and Estuary (Middle Class)

                       

Images:                                    In order to best accommodate the resonance for this dialect, make sure the soft palate is lifted and you are breathing from your diaphragm. Imagine that there is a balloon inside your head. Whenever you inhale, air enters through your lips and the balloon in your mouth grows in size, lifting your soft palate and creating more openness in your sound.

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Northern British

Common occupations:         Factory workers, sheep farmers

 

Geography:                             Scotland is to the north of the region

 

Major dialects:                        Cumbrian, Northumbrian, Geordie, Pitmatic, Tesside, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Liverpool     

 

Dialects of focus:                    Yorkshire and Liverpool

 

Characteristics:                       

• Broad, often elongated vowels with heavy Scottish influence

• Extremely tonal: pitch patterns typically begin in a mid tone, moving to a low tone and ending with a higher tone

• Sing-songy (bouncier) in nature

• Perceived as “friendly”

• Rhotic (r’s are pronounced)

 

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Plays:                                     Billy Elliot

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British Midlands:

Linguistic history of the region:          The Romans made Leicester its capital when it invaded England centuries ago. It later hosted                                                                     knights in the medieval era, and is home to the legend of Robin Hood, which is set in                                                                                   Nottinghamshire.

 

Common local occupations:               The West Midlands hosts a wide range of factories due to its centralized location. It                                                                                       functioned as the hub of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the                                                                         region also includes a decent amount of England’s agriculture, including sheep farms                                                                                   (Brittanica).

 

Geography:                                            Includes rolling hills, dense forests, and mountain ranges. The Midlands also hold a range of                                                                     factories, including the first factory in the world along with numerous historical castles                                                                               (Englandforever.org).

 

Major Dialects of the region:               West Midlands, Birminghamshire (Brummie), Coventry, Potteries, East Midlands, South-East                                                                       Midlands, Black Country

 

Generally:

• Non-rhotic

• Words beginning with “h” will drop the “h”

 

Dialects of focus:                                   Coventry,  Birmingham, and Liecester (East Midlands)

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