Language and Region

Nesdale and Rooney (1966)

The more different the regional accent is from the prestige form (RP) the less competent the speakers are perceived to be

Labov (1963) - Martha's Vineyard Study

Martha's Vineyard is an island lying off New England with a permanent population of about 6,000. However, over 40,000 visitors, known as 'summer people' visit every summer. Labov found, in his study, that a small group of the Chilmark fishermen began to subconsciously exaggerate a tendency already in their speech, in order to establish themselves as an independent social group with superior status to the despised summer visitors. As more and…