Where is Received Pronunciation? - Variation and change in non-regional sociolects.

Despite the high profile of Received Pronunciation (henceforth RP) in both the academic and popular spheres, very little recent research has focused on changes in the accent itself or the specifics of variation in pronunciation. The unique position that RP holds as a non-regional sociolect, rather than an area-based dialect is accepted and taught but has not been considered in depth with much of the existing study accepting southern English standards as exemplary of RP. The existence of this accent raises the question of how a language variety can exist when its speakers are hundreds of miles apart. This research will test the geographical boundaries of RP by analysing speech from speakers in the North East in contrast to southern speakers, providing innovative understanding of the nature of non-regional accents and the speech communities they are comprised of.