Bad English by Darren Rigby in Perpignan, France: Agrégation anglais 2009, CAPES anglais 2009

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Chavs - The Latest Chapter in British Civilisation

As teachers of English you may well teach your students about British or American society and in particular, fashion and youth movements. Indeed, who doesn't fondly remember Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers, Hippies, Punks and New Romantics? So what's happening in 2004? Well you may well have come across the expression "Chav" (or "Charver" or "Scally"...). If so, you have you will almost certainly have seen the words "Bling" and "Burberry" in the same paragraph. There may well have been a reference to Ali G and people finishing every sentence with 'innit' too.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you all go out and prepare lessons on the Chav theme but I do think it's worth getting yourself acquainted with the phenomenon:

Warning!

The Chav lifestyle has invited some extremely virulent criticism and even hatred. Whilst some commentators have suggested that...

"the chav thing is just another way of marginalizing and demonising the poor".

"The Chavs and the Chav nots" The Friday Project 24^th September 2004

...many resent the what they see on the streets and have little time for poverty theory. Some of the sites listed contain extremely strong language and paradoxically hateful comments from people who consider themselves decent law-abiding citizens. Other sites such as The Sun "newspaper" tend to glorify the Chav thing (then again it's all about readership and circulation 'innit'?).

Whatever your opinion, you will find it an interesting and sobering journey through modern British youth culture. Underclass or a hopeless, helpless generation? You decide, innit?

Chavs on the web

• Definitions
  • World Wide Words
  • Urban Dictionary
  • Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
• Chav Sites
  • Chavscum The anti-Chav site...
  • Chavtowns Citizens report on Chav behaviour in their neighbourhood. Look up an area you know well, is it now Chavland?
  • Newcastle Charver Watch (Mostly written in "Geordie")
• "Flash Fun"
  • In me Burberry
  • Chavhemian Rhapsody
  • Chav Olympics
• BBC Radio Documentary "To Chav and Chav Not"
• Chav Photos
• Video Interviews with Chavs Sobering...and sad.

Update

The Chavscum and Chavtown webistes were actually down for a couple of days due to server overload when the IT and science site The Register linked to them. More uplifting information in their article entitled "Oi, Chav! Check out me website!".

Labels: anglais, English

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