Quote: (02-16-2013 05:10 PM)Vicious Wrote:
For an outsider all we hear is British, the subtleties is probably clear to you but most non-brits could probably not tell cockney and Oxford apart.
If you can't detect an accent then the speaker is likely from the upper middle classes or above. Or is putting in significant effort to get there. That accent is called "Received Pronounciation" (RP) and is adopted by almost everyone who has been to a good University in the UK. Also, of course, used by people whose parents and social circle speak that way.
It's a bit controversial saying that, because most people are naturally proud of the region they come from, but even today many Brits trying to get ahead head to London and the South East and subtly change their accent over time. Commentators say it is less likely to happen these days, but based on my observation I question that. I mean, listen to a supposedly "multi-cultural" channel like BBC News and, really, 99% of it's news readers and presenters use RP. And this is an organisation which no doubt does genuinely appreciate diversity. The people they choose to present their face to the global public do come from many regions, ethnic groups etc. But they all speak pretty much the same way.
I have an interest in, and fascination with, accents and believe the general rule holds true throughout the world, and in all languages. If you can't detect an accent in a native speaker of a language then that speaker is, very broadly speaking, in the ruling class of that country/region/ethnic group.
PS:
Oh, I'm pretty sure you'd be able to tell a Cockney apart from other Brits. Not just from accent, but from attitude and many other things. When next in London take a black cab or go to big market in central London like Berwick Street Market in Soho. If the cab driver, or market stall holder is White he or she is almost certainly Cockney. Not creating a race thread, just saying that it would be more difficult to say if the person was Black or Asian since they could be more recent immigrants. Anyway, as they say, Cockneys are the only true Londoners.