Social Class and Language in Contemporary Britain

In conclusion, it can be summed up that class differences still exist in the contemporary Britain according to the research made on the subject and the tendency of people to admit that it is so. The discussion on the terms used for ‘settee’ or ‘sofa’ and ‘lounge’ or ‘living room’ revealed that lower class people are unaware of their reasons for using particular words, while they are clearly the indicators of their belonging, that is, lower or middle class according to Kate Fox. However, knowing the upper class words is as essential as being aware of the lower class terms, not only to be able to present oneself in a better light, but also to adapt to the situation, in case there is a need, and not to appear as a snob or a disadvantaged person if one comes across someone really concerned with these issues. It is clearly impossible to comply with everyone’s expectations, because all people are different and the step of a lower class person towards the higher class leads to an increased level of anxiety, and it raises worries about everything being told correctly or not, thus creating the anxious middle class. …