01355383 Varieties of English and Cultures of English Native Speakers 07 | Page 5

But before we get to what the RP accent is, can you remember
what happened in the 17 th century England?
emergence
of the middle
class
world exploration and colonisation
In the 17 th and 18 th centuries, colonisation
and international trading brought wealth
to England. The middle class, who were
merchants and industrialists, emerged
into the society for the first time. As more
people were educated than before, more
books were being published, especially
those on the English grammar.
Publication of books,
dictionaries and
newspapers