Abstract: The Queen’s accent that Elizabeth II used is similar to the Oxford accent which is so-called the Upper-class English pronunciation. In the 1950s, the British had great class consciousness. Different accent represented different social status. But in the past 50 years, the Queen’s accent has gradually closing to the southern middle-class British pronunciation. This thesis lists and analyzes the change of Queen’s accent and the reasons in the past 50 years.. Meanwhile it concludes that the change is a reflection of the change of social stratum, particularly the change of middle class. The Queen changed her accent to adapt the change of social stratum, so that she can win her people’s support. She admits the equality and democracy by changing her accent.
Key Words: change; social stratum; Queen’s accent
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1. Background and Changes in Queen’s Accent 2
1.1 The Status of Queen’s Accent 2
1.1.1 Relation Between Accent and Social Stratum 2
1.1.2 The Status of RP and Other Accents 3
1.1.3 The Status of Queen’s Accent 5
1.2 Changes in Queen’s Accent 5
1.2.1 Changes of English Accent Recently 5
1.2.2 Changes of Queen’s Accent 6
1.3 The Process of the Change 7
1.3.1 Change from Above 7
1.3.2 Change from Below 8
2. Changes of British Stratum 9
2.1 Changes of Social Stratum 9
2.1.1 Changes of Middle Class Stratum 9
2.1.2 Changes of Concept of Social Stratum 10
2.1.3 Changes of Education Forms and Global Popularization 11
2.2 Reason of Changes in Queen’s Accent 12
2.2.1 Conscious Reason 12
2.2.2 Subconscious Reason 12
3. Significance of Changes in Queen’s Accent 12
3.1 Meanings to the Sociaty 12
3.2 Meanings to Herself 13
4. Conclusion 13
