AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGE OF SOCIAL STRATUM IN ENGLAND THROUGH THE CHANGE OF THE QUEEN’S ACCENT
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
从女王口音变化看英国社会阶层的变迁
摘 要：英国女王伊丽莎白二世原有的口音类似于牛津腔，是所谓英国上流社会的贵族英语发音。在20世纪50年代，英国人社会等级观念较重，不同口音代表了不同阶层的人。但近五十年来，女王口音日益接近于英国南部普通中层阶级大众。本文列举并分析了近五十年来女王口音的变化及其原因，并发现这种变化是英国社会阶级结构变化的一种折射，尤其是中产阶级阶层地位的变化。这也正是女王为适应社会阶层变化以及迎合大众人心所做出的改变。这个改变也是承认社会民主平等的一个表现。
关键词：变化；社会阶层；女王口音
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
Acknowledgements……………….……………………………….15
Bibliography……………….……………………………….…….…16
