Wednesday 17 September 2014

Chalky's a spy-Language Use

This video incorporates language that is used in modern Britain, but in war time Britain. The two pilots played by Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller are using their, at the time, typical British accents for a comedic effect because they're speaking like a teenager of today.Their accents are upper class which makes the slang words used sound completely different to how they sound today. For example at the end of certain sentences the pilots would say "isn't it". This would be commonly known as someone saying innit but because of their upper class accents they are pronouncing every sound in the word. Also, they use the word "homeboy" meaning a member of a youth gang. This links back into modern day slang as this is a commonly used word within gangs.

 Another phrase that shows that the youth of today are being mocked is the phrase, "I reckon him and Hitler have been talking about me behind my back."This ties in with the comparisons because some teenagers today talk behind each others backs even if they're friends because people tend to gossip about one another. Due to their upper class accents the pilots do not sound like the youth of today. This sketch, which was made for comedy purposes, could represent the demise of the English language, as most Britain's used to have the upper class accent but now it has decreased due to different behavior styles (i.e. youth gangs etc).

The next phrase that shows the pilots mocking the language of today is,"the lute captain is well vexxed."This phrase has been used in language today, but only with a different topic.The word "vexxed", meaning irritated or annoyed is a word which now is commonly used with the youth today as it is an alternative way of showing emotions towards someone or something. This specific phrase and word has been made comedic because this wouldn't have been the sort of thing that would have been said about Hitler and his spy's, and this can also make the younger audience laugh because thy can relate to the language being used.

1 comment:

  1. This is an excellent piece of analysis Callum, well done. There is still work to be done, as in some areas you are missing opportunities to apply the terminology such as 'standard English', 'received pronunciation, 'phonology' etc, but you have managed to critically evaluate a short video with a full, in-depth analysis. The terminology and framework application will come with practice.You use the 'point/evidence/explanation' technique to good effect and your points are well selected and concise. You are clearly engaging with the subject and are starting to build some good knowledge. Brilliant stuff, keep it up!

    ReplyDelete