BBC Voices Poll 2004
Aim:-
The purpose of this was to find out about the attitudes people have towards accents and languages in Britain.
Methodology:-
The survey took place in November 2004 where 5000 people took part in an online poll which was conducted by Greenfield Online. Overall, there were 49% male and 51% females that took part in the survey, with the most popular age group being between 25-64 years old. 67% of those who took part in the survey spoke English as their first language, and around 26% spoke another language other than English, such as French, German and Spanish. The participants were asked to rate celebrities voices on how pleasant they sounded.
Findings:-
The survey found that people often liked accents similar to their own. For example, the Scottish who enjoyed listening the voice of Ewan McGregor, and the Welsh enjoyed listening to Huw Edwards voice as they all sounded similar to their own accents.
Also, the survey found that many people wish that they have a different accent, with the most popular accent to want being a Standard English accent. The Standard English accent, also known as the Queen's English, clearly showed that it was the most prestigious regional accent. "An accent identical to your own" was popular in terms of being someone's favourite accent. It was found that many people change their accents on various occasions, including when they meet people for the first time as it creates a better impression of themselves.
Analysis and conclusion:-
From the data found from this survey, there is clear regional bias amongst accents as many people favour accents that are similar to their own. The Scottish accent was the most pleasurable to listen to, which is supported by the Aziz Corporation, who found that this was a successful accent to have whilst in business. Also, people may change their accent to a more preferable one in certain circumstances to create a good impression. The Queen's English accent was found to be the most prestigious, but in conclusion accents similar to that of your own was more favoured.
