How do educated English speak English? Does it sound like Oxford or rather like Cockney? Why did traditional pronunciation habits and criteria of acceptability change radically during the 20th century, when even the BBC world service got a new sound? How to cope with the impacts of this change; what is the actual 'standard'? Speech accent is not only a regional, but also a social marker. Ingrid Wotschke discusses educated pronunciation in its changing social contexts, supported by numerous speech samples and illustrations. Besides, she presents the alternative model of current Educated English English. This book is written for scholars and students of English and for anyone else interested in English language and culture.

Ingrid Wotschke, was born in Magdeburg (Germany), studied English and History and held a PhD in English literature. Having taught English language and literature at several colleges and universities, her linguistic research focussed on the pronunciation of English as seen from psychological, social and historical angles. Her literary interest concentrated on medieval literature and culture, especially on the Old English epic of Beowulf. Ingrid Wotschke died in August 2014.