Talking for Britain: A Journey Through the Voices of a Nation by Simon Elmes

by Simon Elmes

Do you say 'gooseberries' or 'goosegogs'? Do you wear 'daps' or 'plimsolls' at the gym? And do you take your 'tranklements' with you when you go to work? From Geordie to Scouse and Estuary English, Britain has a rich dialect tradition, and in 2005, for the first time in some fifty years, a major nationwide survey is being conducted to see how we talk, what words we use, and how accents and vocabulary vary from region to region. Radio 4, in conjunction with BBC local radio stations, will be out and about interviewing people all over the country from all walks of, and their survey will culminate in August with a major 6-part Radio 4 series. Penguin are delighted to be publishing the book of the series.

Genres: Nonfiction, British Literature, Language

Paperback

First published August 22, 2005

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and informative book, that takes the speech of British people, area by area, summing up its vocabulary, accent and general tone. Research for the book was conducted via the BBC nationwide 'Voices' survey in 2004, and already, many of its observations are out of date. Language is changing more quickly than ever, as industries wither, and people increasingly move round the country, needing to communicate outside their own familiar geographically restricted zone. This does not mean that it is becoming impoverished, but the changes formerly noticed from village to village, even from street to street in certain towns, are very much less evident. So while this book remains in many ways topical, it's also a record of a particular moment in history, and none the less interesting for that.

[Tony Lawrence]

This is a rich and detailed analysis of English as it is spoken across the 4 home nations (e.g. Ulster Scots & Scots English rather than the Gaelic/‘Gallic’ indigenous languages), including recordings carried out by local BBC radio stations in 2004/5 [Voices Survey] and earlier vox-pop interviews and anecdotes. The author splits the UK into 12 sections, although by his admission he is only scratching the surface of the depth and variety of language that may change even within a few miles. Each chapter gives some geographical and socio-historical context, results from interviews, pronunciation notes, and a glossary of local terms. One of the underlying themes - in all areas - is how language develops and is evolving constantly, with some regrets about lost very localised rural and industrial communities (and concomitant language and dialects) up against the influences of mass-media and mobility, but recognition of the broader sweep of change. Of course the biggest problem with this book is that it is words on paper, most of the dialects and accents, however much they are rendered ‘phonetically’, need to be heard to be fully appreciated.