Scottish accent turning English according to academic

A professor of speech science at Queen Margaret University has presented his use of pioneering ultrasound technology to analyse the evolution of the Scottish accent.

In a public lecture held earlier this week, Professor Jim Scobbie introduced the technique, which he believes allows him to look inside peoples' mouths.

Professor Scobbie explained: “There is so much social variability in the Scottish accent. This lecture reveals the complexity of “normal” pronunciation as well as the new and exciting techniques that we can use to give us a better insight into speech formation across all languages, but particularly in the Scottish accent.”

According to Professor Scobbie the rolling “r” is on the verge of disappearing amongst Scottish youths, in an attempt to sound more middle-class.

Researchers from Glasgow University also found that young people from middle-class families in Maryhill were likely to maintain a traditional Scottish accent, whereas working-class families were more likely to sound like the English in an attempt to avoid sounding middle-class.

Some linguists suggest that this change is due to the increasing amount of Cockney accents Scottish youths hear on the television.

The ultrasound technique used by professor Scobbie relies on a probe being placed under the chin to record the movement of the speaker’s tongue, this information is then analysed by a computer.

The lecture, titled 'Subtle, exotic and mysterious: Scottish accents and their value to speech science', was held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh as part of official events celebrating Homecoming Scotland 2009.