The Rising Tide of Estuary English: The Changing Nature Of Oral British Business Communication

Abstract

Estuary English is a combination of nonregional and local southeastern English pronunciation and intonation that lies between R. P. English and London street speech and is sweeping across the United Kingdom, including its business community. This article identifies characteristics of Estuary English, documents the usage of Estuary English within the British business community, describes the milieu that causes Estuary English to be acceptable in the British business community, speculates about the future of Estuary English in the British business community, identifies the implications of Estuary English for business communicators, and discusses the implications of Estuary English for business communication teachers and consultants.

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