'ask' v 'aks' - any reason?

[LondonMix]

I agree with Saffron and DaveR. However, I think what some people were reacting to was more the tone of some of the comments than the idea that at any given time there are standard grammatical rules. There are loads of differences between spoken and written English and regional / colloquial speech. Some posters (though not all) seemed to be bothered more by those associated with immigrants / the poor.

[Saffron]

Tone can be understood in a number of different ways. I've just re-read the thread, and personally I don't find it racist. Observing and commenting on cultural or race-related differences in itself is not racist. Neither is it racist or classist to want to hear one's own children speak in a similar manner to oneself, so long as none of these things is done in a way that disparages other cultures. It is possible to dislike other cultural practices to the preference of one's own without being racist. That is how I personally read the comments on this thread.

Herein is one of the curiosities of written versus spoken English, that two people may read the same statements and infer different tones. However, the beauty of online Forums is that they turn written English into (nearly) realtime conversations, allowing an interchange of ideas that reading alone does not allow.

It's a very interesting discussion.

[LondonMix]

I actually agree with you Saffron. I don't think anyone was being racist at all and one of the things that bothered me most about starting a family here with my English partner was that any children we have won?t sound like me (bizarre I know!) I was just clarifying what I thought the disagreement was about?that the speech patterns of the poor / immigrants seemed to be the target of some posters' disdain. For me, the ?Braying Henry? speech pattern is equally annoying though I have quite a few friends who speak that way! I suppose its really a question of examining "why" something bothers you more than other things.

[Saffron]

Agreed. Funny, I also did not grow up in London, and my daughter already sounds different compared to me. But then again, she also sounds different to DH who did grow up in London. She makes her own unique word combinations, and I love hearing her language progress. She's nearly 3 years old. Our recent struggle has been to get her to say 'hospital' instead of 'hostibal'. I make a habit of just repeating it correctly without actually correcting her. Although occasionally when I'm very tired, she's gotten me saying it wrong.

[ladywotlunches]

"gotten" - that's surely not proper english? :)

Also just wanted to say that my comments aren't racially motivated either. Having been brought up down here in the south, I would feel the same if my kids were to start pronouncing 'bath' instead of 'bahth', and 'dance' instead of 'dahnce'. And I have northern friends who are equally horrified that their London offspring use the long vowel sound!

[Jo'sEnglish]

ladywotlunches Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "gotten" - that's surely not proper english? :)

>

It is if you are American, then it is perfect! Like a lot of so-called 'Americanisms' it is actually an old English form that has gone out of use here.

[LondonMix]

Yes, that's how we say it in the US :)

[Jessie]

Fairly off topic, but I enjoyed reading this about Britishisms in American English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249