Vortrag am 6.12.2016

Prof. Dr. Jane Stuart-Smith (University of Glasgow): "Does watching TV change the way we speak?"

We can probably all think of instances of words and catchphrases which have been spread into everyday language with the help of the broadcast media. But what about those core aspects of language, our pronunciation systems and our grammatical systems? Can these be affected by watching TV? In her brief critical paper on sociolinguistic theory, distinguished sociolinguistic Penny Eckert included the influence of the media on core aspects of language as an ͚elephant in the room͛, a notion which is effectively ignored but at the same time seems to be present. In this talk, Jane Stuart-Smith will discuss the results of the first systematic, long-term sociolinguistic study of the possible influence of television on language variation and change, in the accent of Scotland͛s largest city, Glasgow. She will outline several aspects of the study which together help draw a picture of the role of TV in the rapid spread of some consonant changes which are typically associated with dialects of Southern England