‘It is important that we teach children that, to get on, they must speak Standard English with an RP accent’

It is commonly accepted that standard English presents a sense of trust and education, especially in newsreaders or public figures, but is it really necessary for us to shame and try to change the regional accents that make Britain interesting? What’s the point in taking a trip to Birmingham if you’re not going to arrive and nudge your friend as if you’ve never heard the accent before? Regional accents and dialects are as much a part of Britain’s heritage as the middle class, bland RP accent. While people from other countries (especially the USA) absolutely ruin the Cockney accent with their atrocious impressions, many Brits do exactly the same with regional accents and they should be respected as a fundamental feature of British society and language.
Granted, it’s rare to enter the conversation of teenagers without hearing the odd ‘innit’ or ‘fam’, but when it comes to writing essays for English or exam papers, I can guarantee you that nobody is writing anecdotes about how lit their mad sesh was at the weekend. As long as they can write formally when necessary, what’s the harm in allowing them to continue having their own little code for adults to question? Slang is merely a light-hearted, harmless way of having a conversation with friends. I don’t know about you, but I’d be a little shocked if I was with friends and one of them asked me how much gratification I received from the plethora of leisurely activities in which I partook this past week. It’s just not right, and there’s a huge distinction between conversational lexis and that of a formal piece.
Also, not to venture into sensitive subjects too deeply, but surely shaming someone for an accent they were raised with through no choice of their own is akin to discrimination. In the same way that people are in no control of their ethnicity, their sexuality or their gender, they are raised into an accent without choice and can do little to change it. At a stretch they could try to hide it but that’s like a lower scale equivalent of gay conversion therapy or bleaching one’s skin. Of course, it is much less of a serious issue as people aren’t exactly going to be killed just for having an accent, but the principle is similar.

Studies have even proven that whilst RP is the most trustworthy and intelligent sounding accent, other accents appeal to other aspects of society. For example, Welsh and Devon accents are seen as the friendliest, a trait many people would value above stale intelligence. Lorraine Kelly and Granny Murray may have had some influence on this, and many of TV’s most loved personalities have strong regional accents. Liam Neeson’s loving Irish brogue, Ant and Dec’s Geordie twang and even Mike Myers’ adored Scottish impression. If you’ve ever thought our country would be a better place with one solitary, cold royal accent, please take a moment to say a prayer for the beloved TV stars who would fall too.