BBC Voices Poll 2004

Aims & Methods:

The BBC created a poll to find out how people felt about accent and dialect within the British Isles. in 2004 Over 5000 people took part in the poll, age ranged from 25-64, they had to rank celebrities on how appealing their voices were to the respondent. 

Findings:

The poll found that:

People found accents pleasing if they were similar to their own, such as welsh people hearing a southern or northern welsh accent, and Scottish people enjoyed the sound of Sean Connery's voice. It also found, that people wished they had a different accent and at times changed their accent for different reasons such as job interviews or meeting people for the first time, as this changed a persons view of the speaker.

It was also found that the accent the most people would like to have is RP. This is due to it being seen as the most prestigious accent due to its associations with royalty.

Analysis & Conclusion:

From this data, it is shown there is clear bias towards specific accents, with 'presitigous' accents being favoured, and accents such as scouse being seen as lower class and not popular with respondents. This poll is also supported by the Aziz Corporation who also found the RP to be favourable due to its likeness towards 'Queens English' and its helpfulness within business.