You're All Talk

by Rob Drummond

Why do we have different accents and where do they come from? Why do you say ‘tomayto’ and I say ‘tomahto’? And is one way of speaking better than another?In You’re All Talk , linguist Rob Drummond explores the enormous diversity in our spoken language to reveal extraordinary insights into how humans how we perceive (and judge) other people and how we would like ourselves to be perceived. He investigates how and why we automatically associate different accents with particular social characteristics — degrees of friendliness, authority, social class, level of education, race, and so on — and how we, consciously or subconsciously, change the way we speak in order to create different versions of ourselves to fit different environments.Ultimately, You’re All Talk demonstrates the beauty of linguistic diversity and how embracing it can give us a better understanding of other people — and ourselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Linguistics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2023

Reviews

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by language, accents and linguistic diversity. I have an Australian accent and my favourite accents to listen to are the Kiwi and South African accents. All I need to do is Google 'Anna accent Downton Abbey' or 'Peaky Blinders accent' and I can easily lose half an hour or more in my day.

In You're All Talk - Why We Are What We Speak by Rob Drummond, the reader is introduced to the broad range of accents from a UK central perspective with various distinguishing features highlighted to demonstrate the language differences in accent and dialect. Drummond gives us a history lesson as to how the different accents developed and changed around the world, and how they continue to evolve and change today.

The author is a Professor of Sociolinguistics and academic linguist and he explains why accents shift between locations and within classes in the UK and the stigma associated with some accents while others are considered more refined or cultured. Linguistic criticism and judging people by their accents was covered, as well as the practice of expressing accents in writing; Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe comes to mind here.

Adopting accents to signify a shared group identity was fascinating and the author draws on the nature of gay talk (gay voice) and Valley Girl speech as two clear examples of this.

"Speech features become associated with specific groups through those groups repeatedly using them. Not because there is anything intrinsically feminine/middle-class/gay about them, but because that's the association that develops when particular people use them again and again. And when this association has been made, these features can be used by others to help create that identity for themselves." Page 79

I'm still pondering this many days later. The differences in vowel sounds across accents is touched on, and how the American accent evolved to pronounce the 'r' in words (which is called a 'rhotic' accent by the way) and it's not what you think! I loved learning about the glottal stop and worried when I read about accent reduction. The inclusion of foreign accent syndrome brought to mind an old 60 Minutes episode and sent me off hunting that down.

One of my favourite takeaways from You're All Talk was without a doubt learning about vocal fry:

"Creaky voice or 'vocal fry' is another speech feature that is often associated with young, especially American, women. Combined with uptalk, it provides the toolkit for what is often referred to as 'Valley Girl' speech, and is a feature that is often heavily stigmatised." Page 14

The author suggests listening to a video of Kim Kardashian talking and I quickly found a montage of her using vocal fry and that was it! Now I can't un-hear it and regularly notice it appearing in male and female speakers in the content I'm viewing.

Drummond touches on too many aspects of the way we speak and why to mention here. I haven't been able to share even half of my favourite snippets (there were 17), but if any of these topics interest you, you'll love this book.

You're All Talk by Rob Drummond is highly recommended for non fiction readers interested in language and communication and why we speak the way we do.

* Copy courtesy of Scribe Publications *

[Jake Delbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a highly informative, but also easy to read, guide to how the English language and accents have developed over the centuries and the crucial role that accent and language plays for one's identity in the modern day.

While some of the book's arguments, which push back against the notion of "speaking properly" and there being a form of "proper" English to speak, may be deemed by some to be controversial, Drummond makes a compelling case for us all to be more open minded and to become better listeners, rather than forcing people to change the way they speak, which ultimately makes them who they are. The book's overall tone though is light hearted and entertaining meaning it is pretty easy to follow and engage with.

Overall I would recommend this book to those with an interest in language and particularly to those with strong/fixed views on what the English language should be. It might make you think again!

[Manuel Batsching · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light and readable introduction to the phenomenon of accentism, a form of discrimination and stereotyping based on dialect, accent or how a person uses language in general.

The subject is fascinating and as far as I know there are not (m)any public-facing books dealing with it. In addition to writing this book, the author has also started a website, that aims to raise awareness of the phenomenon: https://accentism.org/.

The focus is relatively narrow, discussing accentism mostly from a British perspective, using examples from British pop culture, that people from other countries may find hard to relate to.

Many interesting points are made about language hegemony and perceived "standard forms" of language use and pronunciation. According to Drummond, deviations from the perceived standard should not be seen as a problem that the speaker must correct by changing his or her accent. Instead, the author suggests that listeners should be more accepting of this form of linguistic diversity.

This makes sense to me when it comes to the inclusion of regional variants, sociolects or foreign accents. But what if the listener's first language (L1) is not English? English is usually taught in a standardized form and regional variants or accents will be an additional burden for those speakers, who have acquired English as a foreign language (L2). This in turn can promote hierarchy and dominance in favor of L1 speakers, especially when L2 speakers have to interact (or compete) with them in, say, a professional context. Therefore it seems to me, that deviations from a perceived linguistic standard should not be universally be seen as a listener's problem.

The book is certainly aimed at an interested audience, without much prior knowledge of sociolinguistics. However, if you are not completely new to the field, the content might seem a bit thin in the 250 or so pages.

[Sara Klug · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing exploration of the development, diversity, and disciplining of the English language.

This was a deeply interesting, humorous, and easy to read study into a fascinating and complicated topic that affects all our lives, even if we are unaware of it. The author, a British sociolinguistic professor, explores subjects including the early developments of English and theories behind the creation and spread of accents, how and why a person might change the way they talk in different spaces or for different audiences, and the consequences of the judgements – major and minor – we all make about another person based purely on they way they pronounce their vowels.

The way we talk is a conscious and unconscious expression of gender, race, class, education, region of birth, age, and social influences. Drummond’s central point often comes back to efforts to “correct” a person’s English and make them speak “properly” (think My Fair Lady, or the real services advertised to help remove a strong accent to help you in the workforce). The correct way of speaking, incidentally, is always to speak like a wealthy, educated, white man.

I really resonated with Drummond’s assertion that rather that dictating how someone else should speak, we should be taught to listen more effectively: that the variances, quirks, and idiosyncratic jargon of another person, when listened to with joy, curiosity, and cultural sensitivity, can lead to better communication, a deeper understanding of another person, and more inclusive spaces for everyone.

I would recommend not reading this book on the tram, though – as he explains the creation of vowel sounds you will catch yourself slowly mouthing “please – cat – took” and other phrases over and over and might get some strange looks…or was that just me?

[Emma Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has always been interested in language, its uses, and its variety, I was aware of much that the author included. At the start, I felt I was being told what I already knew, but as the book progressed I began to realise additional purposes. The (frequent) criticisms of language invention and alternative meanings are more a measure of familiarity and traditional influencing than a genuine rejection of innovation, and I found less of interest in this than in the discussions and examples of style and code switching, of interest to me as I live in a large and very multi cultural northern city, and hear and see this process happening in my daily life. Working as a volunteer in a community centre and within support groups for mental health, with a wide range of ages and backgrounds, ethnic, also sexual, identities, I feel quite at ease with words and sentence constructions new to me. A background in proofreading and copy editing also highlights the gap between my childhood/school experiences and the following 50 or more years.
I felt comforted by the postscript, in which the author does suggest there will be different reactions from linguist-enthusiasts than from those uninvolved or interested in language. And I have to own up that I did NOT understand most of the recent words collected by him from those still exploring and enriching the language!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and informative guide to language, identity and society.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

You're All Talk is a delightful dive into the world of sociolinguistics - the study of language and society. As a linguistics graduate myself, I found this book quite nostalgic, with its discussions of notable linguistics research (though it kept my attention very differently to a 9AM lecture on grammatical cases, for the better!). That said, I think this is very accessible, with key linguistic concepts and studies being explained concisely and in 'layman's terms', before digging deeper into a particular focus.

While Drummond's writing style is personal and friendly, this book doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of accent prejudice (and all that encompasses), making you think and reflect on your own attitudes (and actions) towards accents and dialects that may not, by some people's standards, 'fit in'. It's definitely a 'get out what you put in' kind of read.

With most examples in the text being geared towards the UK, the United States, and other 'native' English speaking countries, I do think this may not appeal to every reader. However, I would easily recommend this to anyone with an interest in accents and society, those studying English Language at college, and those studying something similar at university. Wonderful linguistic expertise bound in a blue cover!

[Lisa Anybookanytime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will change the way you think about accents

Follow along as a Professor in Sociolinguistics explains how accents developed, and how your own accent affects how you are viewed, and how you view other people. 

This is so well written, with an engaging blend of science, anecdote, humour and social awareness. I raced through it as if it was a fictional page-turner! 

As the author acknowledges, the book focuses on English, which makes sense as white English speakers have lots of work to do as a group on addressing unfair assumptions, and treatment of those with varying accents.

It was also eye-opening to realise how commonly movies utilise accent stereotyping in casting (looking at you, Lion King!) and how often linguistic profiling is used as a substitute for other forms of discrimination in society.

I also appreciated the discussion of slang spread via the internet which is often unintentional cultural appropriation. As one woman said, a white person saying "bruv" might be perceived as cool, but a black person might be considered unintelligent. Something to think about.

My favourite line? "Change how you listen. Don't ask people to change how they speak." 


AD-PR this book was gifted by the publisher in return for an honest review

[Mike Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up randomly, and I'm so happy I did. It basically goes into the ins and outs of accents, what they mean and where they might have come, primarily from british english, and its large variety of accents, but does also go into a bit about other countries and how they speak. Its a really easy read, but does make one think more about what they hear when they do hear an accent. A large chunk does go towards accent discrimination, which I think is definitely coming more to the forefront of society in how that affects people in their lives (even though its always been there). I do enjoy how his take is not that people should change their accent but that other people should become better listeners. And that if they're struggling with an accent then maybe they need to develop real culture and spend time with people who speak like that.

An added bonus is that there's a fun few excercies throughout about how people use their tongue when saying certain vowels or consanants. They're fun to do when by yourself, but when trying to do the exercsises at lunch at work or on public transport has a small chance of you getting a few strange looks.

[Mel - Write On Editorial · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're All Talk is an easy to understand look at how we talk and why we talk that way. It's also written with humour and absorbing examples.
Its main focus is British English but American and Australian English are also written about.
First up is a concise history of how English developed into what we speak today. Then Rob, a professor of sociolinguistics, writes about how we change the way we talk, depending on which of our identities we are using: work, home or social.
Other subjects covered are the cultural and regional differences in spoken English, why we have different accents and how the way we speak shapes perceptions about who we are.
I learnt a lot from this book and I can easily recommend it.
I have one tip while reading it, if you're in public, be careful of the faces and noises you make while attempting the speech exercises. Otherwise, you might also be asked, 'What on earth are you doing?'

[Luke Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really good in depth (but understandable) look into sociolinguistics and how they affect our day to day language. The book also puts you in your place with certain language peeves we may find annoying and explaining how they can come from discriminatory backgrounds

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, entertaining and informative and often funny.