aiMOOC

ABI - Language and identity in the UK

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ABI - Language and identity in the UK

Mini-description: Explore how accents, dialects, multilingualism and language attitudes can become elements of regional and social identity in the UK. The aim is to describe, analyse and evaluate language use in context — not to rank varieties.

Target group: Englisch als fortgeführte Fremdsprache, Kursstufe Baden-Württemberg, shared Basisfach / Leistungsfach module. Orientation: B2, partly C1. BF uses a smaller, exemplary corpus and stronger scaffolds; LF adds wider source comparison, greater text complexity, independent synthesis and more AFB II/III.

English first: Context → word family → visual clue → English explanation → monolingual dictionary → bilingual dictionary → short German help. There is no full German translation.

The schematic map is based on older dialect mapping and also includes Ireland. Use it to generate questions, not as a current census of how every person speaks.

Media entry — 90 seconds: Watch a short section. Note two audible differences and one question. Treat the clip as a performance of selected accents, not as proof that all speakers from a place sound alike. Do not imitate a variety as a caricature.

Einleitung

Language can signal place, networks, generation, situation, migration history or belonging — but it never determines a person's intelligence, character or competence. Everyone speaks with an accent, and speakers can shift style across situations. A label such as Scottish, London or working-class may describe context, but it must not become a linguistic value judgement.

This course combines listening/viewing, short source reading, visual analysis, speaking and writing. You work with public data and openly licensed or officially embedded media instead of long copied texts. Where a source makes a claim, you check who produced it, when, with which data and for what purpose.

I-can goals

I can ...	BF	LF
distinguish accent, dialect, variety, register	identify and apply the terms to one source	compare terms across several sources and discuss borderline cases
describe language without ranking speakers	use neutral evidence-based wording	analyse how prestige and stigma are socially produced
understand varied UK speech	extract key ideas from a manageable clip	connect ideas across longer or contrasting clips
read multilingualism data critically	select and explain key figures	compare census designs, categories and limitations
analyse language and identity	use feature → evidence → effect → context	synthesise language, identity, power, migration and source reliability
speak and write independently	use sentence frames, planning grid and feedback	develop a nuanced argument with counter-position and source synthesis

Vorwissen: first thoughts

Accent: Write one neutral sentence explaining what an accent can tell a listener and one thing it cannot prove.
Identity: Sort these fictional factors into possible identity resource or not reliable proof of identity: pronunciation, postcode, friendship network, self-identification, one isolated word.
Source criticism: Before watching again, predict which evidence would make a claim about a regional or social variety trustworthy.

Core concepts

Term	English first	Word formation / clue	Deutsch-Hilfe erst danach
accent	pronunciation features associated with a speaker or group	accent → accented	Aussprachevarietät / Akzent
dialect	a systematic variety that may differ in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary	dialect → dialectal	Dialekt
variety	neutral umbrella term for a form of language used by a group or in a setting	vary → variety → variation	Varietät
register	language choices linked to situation, audience and purpose	register → register shift	Register / situationsbezogener Sprachgebrauch
multilingualism	the use or knowledge of more than one language in a person or community	multilingual → multilingualism	Mehrsprachigkeit
language attitude	beliefs or evaluations attached to ways of speaking	attitude → attitudinal	Spracheinstellung
style-shifting	adapting features of speech to context, audience or identity work	style → stylistic	situationsbezogener Stilwechsel

Dictionary route: If a term is unclear, first infer it from context and the word family, then use a monolingual learner's dictionary. Only after that use a bilingual dictionary or the short German help above.

Visualise: one country, many language ecologies

The map visualises broad distributions of English, Scots, Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. It does not show every language used in the UK and it does not tell you how strongly a person identifies with a language. Ask: What does the map make visible? What does it hide?

Quick compare: For each image, identify the public setting, visible languages/scripts and possible audiences. Then distinguish communicative function from symbolic visibility. Do not infer an individual's identity from a sign.

Listening / Viewing: many voices, no ranking

Track A — Scots and Scottish English

The University of Edinburgh provides an English and a Scots version of the same short historical introduction. The project is released as CC BY. Listen comparatively: Which lexical or grammatical features do you notice? Which ideas remain the same across versions? Scots is not simply “bad English”.

BF: Use a teacher-selected 2–3 minute passage and complete a three-column grid: idea – evidence – term. LF: Compare both versions, identify at least three linguistic differences and explain why translation/equivalence is not always word-for-word.

Track B — migration and urban language change

Paul Kerswill's public lecture asks how migration and social change have affected London speech. Use it as a source to investigate Multicultural London English (MLE), then cross-check with the University of York research pages. MLE developed in multilingual London and is used across different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds; it must not be reduced to one ethnicity.

Reading: multilingual Britain through data

Do not merge all four nations into one statistic. Census questions, categories and census years differ.

Source	Selected evidence	Reading question
ONS Census 2021, England and Wales	91.1% of residents aged 3+ reported English, or English/Welsh in Wales, as a main language; other main languages include Polish, Romanian, Panjabi and Urdu	What does main language measure, and what does it not measure?
Scotland's Census 2022	2.5% aged 3+ reported some Gaelic skills; 46.2% some Scots skills; the BSL question was new in 2022	Why are skills figures not directly comparable with main language figures?
Northern Ireland Census 2021	NISRA publishes separate tables for main language, Irish, Ulster-Scots and English proficiency	Which table would answer your research question most directly?

BF reading route: choose one row, open the official source and explain two figures plus one limitation. LF reading route: compare at least two official sources and evaluate how different question wording changes interpretation.

Important distinction: British Sign Language is a language in its own right, not an accent or dialect of English. Its inclusion widens the question of language visibility and identity beyond spoken language.

Kontextwortschatz

Expression	Context clue / word family	Use it to ...
to signal belonging	signal → sign	describe a possible social meaning without claiming certainty
to index	index → indexical	explain an association between a feature and a social meaning
prestige	prestigious	name positive social status attached to a variety, not linguistic superiority
stigma	stigmatised	name negative social evaluation attached to speech
bias	biased → unbiased	discuss unequal judgement
speech community	speak → speech	describe a network of speakers sharing norms or practices
repertoire	set of available linguistic resources	describe multilingual or multi-style choices
to accommodate	accommodation	describe convergence or adaptation to an interlocutor
to stereotype	stereotype → stereotypical	criticise overgeneralisation
evidence-based	evidence → evidential	separate observation from impression

Analysis: language, place, class and belonging

Use this sequence for every text, clip, image or data set:

Step	Question
1 Feature	What exactly can you hear, read or see?
2 Evidence	Which word, sound, structure, number, caption or visual detail supports the point?
3 Function	What communicative or identity-related function might it have here?
4 Context	Who speaks/writes, to whom, where, when and for what purpose?
5 Limitation	What alternative explanation or source limitation must be considered?

BF scaffold: complete steps 1–4 for one material; use step 5 as a sentence starter. LF extension: connect at least two materials, add counter-evidence and distinguish the source's claim from your own interpretation.

Useful cautious verbs: suggest, indicate, associate, position, construct, negotiate, index, frame. Avoid deterministic wording such as proves that people from X are ....

Language attitudes and accent bias

The SOAS lecture discusses research on accent bias in Britain. Its own description notes that the talk itself had not undergone peer review, so use it together with the University of York Accent Bias Britain materials and published research. The central analytical distinction is:

Linguistic feature	Social evaluation
observable pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary pattern	prestige, stigma, friendliness, professionalism or other listener judgement

No accent is linguistically “better” than another. Social evaluations can still have real effects, for example in recruitment, and therefore deserve critical analysis.

BF: Identify one claim, one piece of evidence and one limitation. LF: Compare the lecture with the York research summary and evaluate whether the evidence supports a claim about bias, its causes or possible interventions.

Speaking

BF mini-speaking: 90 seconds. Compare two materials using: Both sources show ... / Source A foregrounds ... whereas Source B ... / This may suggest ... / However, the source cannot prove ...

LF synthesis: 3 minutes plus follow-up. Respond to: To what extent can language function as a marker of identity without fixing identity? Use at least three materials, include one counter-position and evaluate source quality.

Feedback focus: intelligibility, evidence, structure, interaction and precise terminology. A regional or non-RP accent is not an error merely because it differs from another accent.

Writing

Core prompt: Assess how accents, dialects and multilingual practices can contribute to regional or social identity in the UK, and how language attitudes complicate this relationship.

BF: Use one visual/data source and one audio/text source. Plan with claim – evidence – explanation – limitation. Teacher sets a manageable length. LF: Build a multi-source argument, distinguish description from evaluation, include counter-evidence and connect the discussion to migration, postcolonial Britain or social change.

Independent writing rule: AI may support question generation or checking only if allowed by your teacher. It must not produce a replacement essay. Verify every AI-generated factual claim and source. Your analysis and wording remain your own.

Optional mediation

A German-speaking school group asks why a London station sign can include another script and why this does not mean that everyone in the area has the same identity. Mediate the key idea in concise English for visitors. Do not translate word-for-word; select context-relevant information and explain the uncertainty of identity inference.

Hilfen und Differenzierung

Support level	BF option	LF option
Language	sentence frames, word-family table, selected dictionary entries	independent paraphrase, hedging and terminology choice
Material	one short clip plus one visual/data source	several sources with contrasting genres and positions
Pace	pause, replay, transcript only after first listening	longer listening span, selective note-taking
Analysis	guided five-step grid	independent comparison, source evaluation, counter-evidence
Output	structured 90-second talk or concise paragraph	extended synthesis and AFB II/III evaluation

Help ladder: context → morphology → visualisation → English explanation → monolingual dictionary → bilingual dictionary → compact German clarification. Move down the ladder only as far as needed.

Feedback and error analysis

After a task, mark one example for each category: content/evidence – analysis – organisation – language accuracy – lexical precision – source use. Then write one repair sentence.

Weak move	Better move
This accent sounds uneducated.	The listener associates the accent with low status; the judgement is social, not a measure of linguistic quality.
This sign proves people here are bilingual.	The sign makes two languages publicly visible; it does not prove individual proficiency.
The census shows the UK speaks ...	This source covers a specific nation or nations, year and question; wider UK claims require additional sources.

Transfer: migration, postcolonial Britain and social change

Connect language to the current Baden-Württemberg focus without reducing people to language labels. Ask how migration can reshape urban repertoires, how colonial/postcolonial histories affect which languages are visible, and how institutions can influence prestige. A strong answer links linguistic evidence + historical/social context + source limitation.

Datenschutz, KI und faire Datennutzung

Datenschutz: Use fictional survey data in class unless your teacher has arranged an ethical research design. Never infer sensitive personal traits from a voice.
Audioaufnahme: Recording your own voice is voluntary. Keep recordings private/local unless you have explicitly agreed to another use.
Upload: Do not upload classmates' voices, texts or images without permission. No task in this aiMOOC requires an external upload.
Künstliche Intelligenz: Do not send personal data to external AI tools. If AI use is permitted, document it, check claims against reliable sources and do not submit AI-generated replacement essays.

Abi-Check Baden-Württemberg — Stand 02.10.2026

The official 2027 and 2028 Facherlasse both place English in the field Politics, culture, society – between tradition and change with the reference culture United Kingdom and explicitly include current questions of identity as well as political, cultural and social developments. They also retain On the Move: Migration and Cross-Cultural Encounters as a focus. This aiMOOC is therefore a language-and-identity module inside the broader official fields, not a claim that “language and identity” is a separate compulsory Abitur title.

BF	LF
Same focus and compulsory-work framework is treated in an appropriate, reduced scope; stronger scaffolding and exemplar materials are appropriate.	Greater breadth, depth and differentiation; more complex texts and independent cross-material synthesis.
The Facherlass describes the oral Abitur route for the Basisfach; course assessment across the qualification phase includes listening, reading, analysis, mediation and different writing tasks.	The written Abitur combines listening and writing; for 2027 the Facherlass gives about 255 minutes including selection time, plus the communication examination under the applicable rules.

The Bildungsplan states that BF and LF differ in complexity, abstraction, breadth, depth and differentiation and that the end-of-course orientation is B2, partly C1. Before an assessment, reopen the official page for your exact examination year because regulations can be updated.

Official check: Kultusministerium Baden-Württemberg: Termine und Informationen zum Abitur · Bildungsplan Englisch: Basisfach/Leistungsfach

Folgekurs

Continue with ABI - Migration and Cross-Cultural Encounters in the UK, ABI - Postcolonial Britain and identity or ABI - Analysing non-fictional texts and visuals. Reuse the same evidence-first method: feature → evidence → function → context → limitation.

Quellen und rechtssichere Medien

The Wikimedia Commons files used above carry reuse information on their file pages; click an image to check author and licence. The Edinburgh Scots videos are documented by the university as CC BY. Other videos are embedded from official institutional or rights-holder channels; do not download or re-upload them. Availability can change.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What does an accent primarily concern? (Pronunciation) (!Grammar only) (!Spelling only) (!A person's intelligence)

What can a dialect include? (Pronunciation grammar and vocabulary) (!Only a national flag) (!Only formal writing) (!Only one speaker's mistake)

Which term is a neutral umbrella for a form of language used by a group or in a setting? (Variety) (!Hierarchy) (!Error) (!Defect)

What does multilingualism refer to? (The use or knowledge of more than one language) (!Speaking without an accent) (!Using only formal English) (!Replacing dialects with one standard)

What is a language attitude? (A social belief or evaluation attached to ways of speaking) (!A fixed linguistic law) (!A measure of intelligence) (!A census population count)

What is the safest conclusion from a bilingual public sign? (It makes more than one language publicly visible) (!Everyone nearby is bilingual) (!One language is linguistically superior) (!All residents share one identity)

What is Multicultural London English? (A London English variety shaped in a multilingual urban context) (!A single ethnic group's private language) (!A mistake caused by poor schooling) (!The official standard language of the UK)

How should you analyse an accent-bias claim? (Separate observable language features from listener evaluations) (!Rank the accents from best to worst) (!Treat stereotypes as linguistic facts) (!Infer competence from pronunciation)

How do BF and LF mainly differ in the Baden-Württemberg course plan? (LF requires greater complexity breadth depth and differentiation) (!BF has no language learning goals) (!LF bans visual material) (!BF must use only German)

Which level is the stated end-of-course orientation for English in the Kursstufe? (B2 partly C1) (!A1 only) (!A2 only) (!C2 in every skill)

Memory

Accent	Sound patterns
Dialect	Grammar and lexis variation
Register	Situation-linked style
Multilingualism	More than one language
Language attitude	Social evaluation
Identity	Belonging and self-positioning
Style-shifting	Context-sensitive adaptation

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Regional identity	Place and local belonging
Social identity	Groups networks and social positioning
Multicultural London English	Multilingual urban London
Language attitudes	Listener evaluations of ways of speaking
Bilingual signage	Public visibility of more than one language

...

Kreuzworträtsel

Accent	Which term mainly describes pronunciation features?
Dialect	Which term can include pronunciation grammar and vocabulary?
Register	Which term describes language choices linked to situation and purpose?
Identity	Which term describes belonging and self-positioning?
Prestige	Which term names positive social status attached to a way of speaking?
Multilingualism	Which term describes the use or knowledge of several languages?

LearningApps

Lückentext

An

mainly concerns pronunciation. A

may also include grammar and vocabulary. The neutral umbrella term

avoids ranking forms of language. A situation-linked way of speaking can be described as a

. Using or knowing several languages is called

. Evaluations attached to ways of speaking are called language

. Public signs can make languages symbolically

. Good analysis separates linguistic evidence from social

. The Kursstufe aims at

with parts of C1 as an orientation.

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Accent feature log: Watch a teacher-selected 60–90 second clip and record three observable pronunciation features without rating them.
Linguistic landscape: Annotate one Commons image from Wales, Scotland or Whitechapel with audience, languages/scripts and possible function.
Word formation: Build a small word-family map for vary, identity, prestige, bias and use each family in one English sentence.
Private speaking rehearsal: Record a 60-second explanation of accent vs dialect only if you want to; keep the file private/local and delete it after self-feedback if you prefer.

Standard

Comparing bilingual signs: Compare the Welsh, Gaelic-English and Whitechapel images. Explain what they can and cannot tell you about identity.
Listening evidence vs stereotype: Rewatch one accent clip and classify notes as observable evidence, interpretation or stereotype.
Fictional language survey: Create a fictional class data set with at least four languages and visualise it. Explain why fictional data protect privacy and what the graph cannot prove.
Argument paragraph: Write a structured paragraph responding to Language can signal belonging without fixing identity. Include evidence, a limitation and cautious language.

Schwer

Multicultural London English source synthesis: Combine the York MLE research page with Kerswill's public lecture. Explain one claim both support and one question that remains open.
Accent bias research critique: Compare the SOAS lecture with the York Accent Bias Britain summary. Distinguish research finding, interpretation, limitation and possible intervention.
OER micro-documentary storyboard: Plan a 2–3 minute video using only licence-compatible Commons media and your own narration. Include attribution and a non-hierarchical message; publication is not required.
Abi transfer task: Connect language and identity with migration or postcolonial Britain using at least three sources. Formulate a thesis, counter-argument and evidence plan without generating a replacement essay with AI.

Lernkontrolle

Source comparison: Two sources use different census questions such as main language and some skills. Explain how the wording changes the conclusions a reader may draw.
Bias case study: A fictional recruiter gives different professionalism ratings to identical answers labelled with different accent descriptions. Design a fairer procedure and explain which variable is being tested.
Visual transfer: Analyse a new multilingual sign using feature → evidence → function → context → limitation. Then explain one alternative interpretation.
Speaking transfer: Respond to A standard variety is useful in some contexts, but usefulness is not superiority. Build a balanced oral argument with one example and one counter-position.
AI claim check: A fictional AI answer says, MLE belongs to one ethnic group and replaced Cockney. Identify the problems and write a source-check plan using academic evidence.
Abi synthesis: Plan a response that links language, identity, migration and social change. Label which parts belong mainly to AFB I, AFB II and AFB III.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis ist wichtig, dass Du:

Begriffe: accent, dialect, variety, register, multilingualism, language attitude und style-shifting sicher unterscheidest.
Evidence-based analysis: konkrete sprachliche, visuelle oder statistische Belege nutzt, bevor Du interpretierst.
Nicht-Hierarchisierung: Varietäten nicht als sprachlich höher- oder minderwertig darstellst und soziale Bewertungen als solche kennzeichnest.
Quellenkritik: Autor, Institution, Datum, Datengrundlage, Frageformulierung und Grenzen einer Quelle prüfst.
Kompetenzen: Hör-/Sehverstehen, Lesen, Analyse, Sprechen und Schreiben passend zur Aufgabenstellung verbindest.
BF-LF-Differenzierung: im BF strukturiert und exemplarisch, im LF breiter, tiefer und selbstständiger Materialien verknüpfst.
Eigenständigkeit: eigene Analyse und Formulierungen erstellst, KI-Angaben prüfst und keine Ersatzaufsätze abgibst.
Datenschutz: nur fiktive oder freigegebene Daten nutzt und freiwillige Aufnahmen privat behandelst.

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