Willl world accents change over time due to mediums like television and the internet alone ?

Answer 1

There is no doubt that accents change over time. As a child in London in the 1940s there were still quite a lot of people who spoke with what is best described as a Regency London accent. Certainly there were still millions of Victorians and Edwardians making up the general population, who mostly spoke with accents and slang of their time. Winston Churchill was born in the 1880s and certainly spoke in an upper class Victorian manner.

I have heard sound recordings of children in Islington in the 1920s. Their accents were of London plus a very strong hint of the countryside. This announced the fact that either their parents or grand parents came from outside London.

The oldest person I ever knew, was a guy I worked with as a telegrapher back in the 1960s in the City of London. He was a Victorian telegrapher aged 108 in c1966. He had been born in the 1850s. His grandfather had been at Waterloo and his father in the Zulu wars of the 1870s. Just amazing. He had also in his time been a horse drawn tram driver in London.

His accent was definately quite different to the London accent and slang of the 1960s. He spoke at a staggering high speed and most of the words were clipped into shorthand with brilliant additions of Cockney rhyming slang thrown in. You could not even hope to keep up with this man.

So, from my experience, accents will change. Many Americans living in the South, actually speak with English southern accents of the early 19th century. I have met some who have told me they were mistaken for English folk when visiting such as New York.

Blimey!
Edit: Lucy above is quite right. When I joined the British Army in 1957 aged 16, I met for the first time in my life, guys my age from all regions of Britain and Ireland. Their accents were very strong. TV had still not kicked in, at least until the 1960s. Not only accents but also fashions were totally different from one part of UK to another. TV changed all that.

A lot of Americanisms appeard in UK English from around WW-One [1918 onwards]. Hi, being about the most popular. We even got the Coca Cola Father Christmas, yes the guy in the red suit with white trim. Before that, his English Victorian counterpart was much more Druidic in appearance. Shame or what?

Answer 2

A lot of people depend on tv and the footnotes running at the bottom of the screen to learn english from. So although English is learned still accents are kept at least still a tad. By this little accent and words said you still can tell which part of the world, or even which part of a state or which state a person is from. So no, I don't think "accents" will change, although I can say that I've seen where hollywood actors have completely changed their accent but then revert to their hometown accent when off the set, for instance like the guy who plays on House, he is a Canadian, and you'd never know from the show that he has an accent in real life.

Answer 3

I don't see how the Internet will have an influence on accents.
But as far as TV is concerned, yes.It's been happening for a while.
I live in the south east of England and I hear so much "estuary English". It is derived from various sources but sad to say its mostly girls who perpetuate it. A hybrid of Vicky Pollard and some Catherine Tate characters: it is high pitched,missing several letters in pronunciation and unfortunately not spoken for "effect".
Strong regional or world accents seem safe for the time being. I wait for the day an explorer reaches the inner depths of the most impenetrable area of the world to be greeted by "You talking to me? Am I bovvered" etc!

Answer 4

Intuitively it would seem the answer is "Yes", but if you consider that the variety of internet and video content has been increasing, and that the increase has been towards more localized tastes/customs/preferences... the answer must be NO. You can see this in political ideologies where people already self select their news and information from more and more rarified sources like blogs or specialized mediums. Where we once had to stomach the "other side" and possibly consider their positions, we now are less and less exposed to other influences. This would no doubt be able to occur in languages and dialects.

In time, the world will tend towards fragmented accents thanks to less and less necessity for individuals to have cross group contact.

Answer 5

No not accents, i think for your accent to change to have to actually be living in that area I.E move from one part of the country or world to another and then over a period of time your accent might will change i also think for that to happen you would have to be at least 18 or under for it to have major affect, if your a adult i doubt very much your accent will change much, the only thing that will change due to TV is words, people will pick up on words from other English speaking country's or even other parts of there own country and use these words and add them to there vocabulary , but changing accents no i doubt that very much unless you move to another area.

Answer 6

In a Globalised society, yes. Check the theories and facts of Globalisation and Multiculturalis.
It is more and more common, especially for younger generations, to feel as a citizen of the world than just a community or nation, and therefore accepting and undertaking different cultures, ideologies and even languages.

Answer 7

No, they haven't so far and Radio has been around for almost 100 years. You tend to have the same accent as your parents. because that is how you learn language from them

Answer 8

you could well be onto something.
A couple of friends don't send their daughter to school and let her do whatever she wants (whether you agree with that or not is a whole different debate).

Basically the TV has brought her up, she has lived in England all of her life with UK parents but she speaks with an american accent!

Answer 9

That is the prediction, I would venture to say that keeping or maintaining an original accent will be an art form.

Answer 10

Undoubtedly they will change. I heard that even Queen Elizabeth has moderated her accent in recent years. She now speaks more clearly and less "plummy"!! I wonder what programmes she has been watching? Oops, maybe I should post that question!!!