Why do the English worry about accents?

It generaly depends on where about in England you come from, in the North, people generaly prefer to have regional accents, as in the West-Country. the posher accent seems to become more common the further South-East you go.

Some people say that there is still a lot of predjudice on accent in the UK with people saying that Posh accents sound more intulectual although I haven't Experienced it personaly.
(although having said that Both my parents, who are from the North had to have Elecution lessons when they were younger so that they spoke in "Propper English" as it was thought that that was the only way to get a high paying jobin those days. Then again it was in the 1960's so I don't think that it applys to Modern England)

"On Ilkla Moor Baht'at"
"We come a cob a coalin' "

It's often about stereotypes... The stereotype of someone with a strong Liverpudlian accent is that they're a criminal... The stereotype of someone with a strong Birmingham is that they're stupid... The stereotype of someone with a strong Glaswegian accent is that they're violent... And so on... I don't think it's as much of an issue as it used to be - someone can now be successful without feeling that he / she has to make efforts to get rid of a regional accent. But, it's another cause of the homogenisation of accents in this country, which is a shame, as variety is a good thing... I'm a big believer that the general level of spoken English in this country needs to be very much improved. But, regional accents are a good thing, which should be preserved.

I just got done taming a wild honeymoon stallion for you guys.

It's a self esteem issue stemming from past-emphasis on class and social standing.
Due to Britain's history of class, working ('lower'), lower middle-class, upper middle class and upper class there are still many people raised in a way that they react to a 'posher' accent in a different way than how they act toward their peers.
It's all bollocks really my good man, class has no REAL implication anymore and having an accent doesn't mean you're dumb.

A 'posher' sounding accent is used to describe a person who speaks english with the correct pronunciation mainly because use of the language in its proper vernacular highlights, to them, a lack of education in how they speak.

Its also to do with the whole 'us Vs Them' mentality of humans. As a social group we strive to identify other people in their relation to us...we also define ourselves as a people by first defining the 'enemy' (Natural instinctual programming here) so therefore somone with a unique accent to you is clearly 'not from round ere BOY!'

P.S You may not think 'less' of people in America but whenever I see an American film depicting a red neck on screen...99.9999% of the time their accent is Texan and they are very stupid.

'Only EFFORT, DISCIPLINE, LOYALTY, earn the right to wear the Dragon Doji.' - Oroku Saki

I understand what you're saying, but for me it's always been the other way around. I've never wanted to speak "news reader english" (lol) because that's just not what I am and where I'm from.

For me, the real problem is when American films stereotype us by having British characters speak with the Queens english. It bugs the heck out of me when I go on holiday over there and someone asks "why are't you speaking like Keira Knightley?"

Of course, some of them are looked down on (I know a few people from Liverpool who have been treated unfairly because of their accents and the connotations involved with being from Liverpool) but most of us just embrace it I think. I haven't met anyone who has had a problem with it yet.

Accents have very little to do with intelligence, from personal experience. However, in the UK anyway, it is usually possible to determine a person's class from the way they speak. Although the class system has become more centred during the last few centuries, and is no longer polarised. So really, you can call yourself what you want, but you're probably middle class (except if you're German and live in a palace)

Growing up in Liverpool, i am aware of the stigma attached to having a strong regional accent, especially one as recognisable as scouse. I have found that it is common for a person with a scouse accent to "play up to it" and actually make it sound harsher and more "scouse" in order to fit in with their mates. This is known as downwards convergence. Also, stereotypes can paradoxically lead to people trying to live up the stereotype, especially around "out-of-towners".

I was in London recently and i found that i was trying to tone down my accent so i didn't stick out like sore thumb - upwards convergence. There is a general snobbery in the south towards "those up north", which does make it difficult to get a job in London for example.

Yeah, went on a bit of a rant =p

I'm no pro on theubject but i have some idea that the South of England is actually a fair bit richer than the North. I havent noticed that northern people try and act less northern though. Some of the farmin counties however who aren't actualy that poor seem to try to cover up a lil sometimes and worry about it. I don't realy know why

I'm actually more curious why there are so many different accents. I'm in the US, grew up Illinois, but have lived in Washington state for the last 9 years, other than a few words here and there that either I or a native Washingtonian utter, we pretty much sound the same.

Obviously, New Englanders & Southerners (and perhaps some of the Swedish/Norwegian enclaves in MN, etc.) have different accents, but across the midwest and west coast, I don't really here that much of a difference in the way that we speak "American English", different lingo for things perhaps, but not neccessarily in elocution.

Considering that England and the individual European countries are smaller than the US geographically speaking (which is not to say that the US is bigger or better in any respect), I've always been curious why (other than Welsh or Scottish speakers in the UK) there are so many different accents?

Is it because the UK (and the rest of the European Continent) have kept much more of their cultural/geographical heritage? Why do New Englanders & Southerners sound so different from each other in the first place? Both regions were settled, in the majority, by English colonists, but sound vastly different and did so within a few hundred years of being settled.

I'm from south London and when I lived in England I was always conscious of being a working class 'Barrow boy', especially as I was in computers in the late 80's. Most of my colleagues were university educated.

Looking back, the problem was much more in my head than with anyone else

I moved Stateside in the mid 90's and now people think I am Australian. This doesn't bother me as I like Aussies but people will argue with me as they believe that all English sound like Newsreaders. No matter how many times I tell them that "MATE" has been used by working class Londoners for centuries they don't believe it.

Anyway, thats all beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that even after 13 years away I still think of anyone with a Northern accent as a scrounging monkey.

I just cannot help it.

My friends from up North still think of me as a Soft, Southern, Shandy Drinking Fairy.

And we both think that people from the Midlands have the daftest accent of all. They sound like Squeaky Sad Clowns.

I do not mean to insult anyone*

Many warm regards

* except Northeners, Mancs, Scousers, Geordies, Mackams, Jocks, Brummies, Dingles, Tykes, Pie-eaters, Taffs, Sweaties, Micks and Norf Landaners.