Accentricity - podcast cover

Accentricity

Why do we love some accents and hate others? Why do we talk differently in different situations? Does learning a new language really teach you to think differently? In this linguistics podcast, I examine how the way we talk connects to who we are.

Episodes

Élaina's Story

This is the final episode (at least for now!) of The Moving Project. During the Covid-19 pandemic we worked with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. The results of this course are a series of episodes: each one about a very different migration experience, and each person bringing their own style and personality. We hope you love them as much as we do. *** From Élain...

Jul 26, 202337 minSeason 2Ep. 11

Special episode: “Really this girl ought to be going to something better”

Over the past few years, as well as making Accentricity, I’ve been working on the Manchester Voices research project at Manchester Metropolitan University , with Rob Drummond , Holly Dann , Sarah Tasker and Erin Carrie. As part of this work, we used oral history recordings to explore language change over time, and we’ve recently published a journal article about this work. We’re really proud of this article, but it’s not really that accessible to people who aren’t professional linguists, and we ...

Aug 26, 202232 minSeason 2Ep. 10

Special episode: Talking About Voices

As well as making Accentricity, I work on the Manchester Voices project at Manchester Metropolitan University , with Rob Drummond and Holly Dann . During the COVID-19 pandemic, we ran a podcasting course and competition for schools called Talking About Voices. This is a special episode announcing the competition winners. If you’re a teacher in a school in Greater Manchester, email [email protected] to ask about taking part in Talking About Voices round 2 in the coming school year. If y...

Oct 04, 202115 minSeason 2Ep. 9

Anna and Sadie's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Sep 27, 202135 minSeason 2Ep. 8

Lisa's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Sep 12, 202154 minSeason 2Ep. 7

Helen and Sam's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Aug 30, 202133 minSeason 2Ep. 6

Claire's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Aug 17, 20211 hr 1 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Charles and Alejandra's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Aug 01, 202144 minSeason 2Ep. 4

Maria's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Jul 21, 202153 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Veronica's Story

Over the past year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been working with a group of people from all over the world, teaching them to podcast and helping them to tell personal stories about the experience of moving from one place to another. Everyone who took part was brand new to podcasting, and most of the episodes were made without any professional equipment, using mobile phones and free editing software. The results of this course are seven episodes: each one about a very different migration...

Jul 04, 202151 minSeason 2Ep. 2

Don't Forget To Tell Them That You're Polish

This episode is Accentricity’s first audio research paper. In April this year, I was really excited to have an article published in a linguistics journal, telling people about some of the findings from my PhD research. But… not all people. Because although I did my best to write the article as clearly and simply as possible, it’s only really accessible to other linguists. That’s fine, of course – journal articles are for talking to other people in your field. But I think my findings might be int...

Jun 20, 202136 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Introducing: The Sounds of Integration guest series

For this episode, we bring you something a little bit different. A few months ago, we were invited to work in collaboration with the podcast Refugee Voices Scotland , and make a guest series for a new podcast called The Sounds of Integration . We decided to make a series on the theme of community. It’s a series celebrating the power of community, but also thinking about what happens when communities are put under strain. When people move from one place to another, moving away from the community ...

Mar 01, 202139 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Bonus Episode: Learning To Talk, One Year Later

If you would like to take the Wug test (or test the tiny people in your life), I’ve done a blog post it which allows you to do the test here . Remember that it’s not a test of intelligence! It tests a kid’s stage of linguistic development, and also their willingness to play along with the weird world of adults. *** In this particular episode, I’m focusing on the stories of kids who are acquiring spoken language, and who are moving towards communicating in the same kind of way as I am now. Of cou...

Aug 27, 202032 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Fake Accents

* Carrie Gillon and Megan Figueroa make The Vocal Fries , a podcast where they investigate and dismantle linguistic prejudice in all its forms. They have loads of episodes about different linguistic issues and varieties. If you fancy learning more about different varieties of American and Canadian English, you could start with this one about Southern American English, this one about Newfoundland English, or this one about Philadelphia English. * Lauren Gawne is a Lecturer in linguistics at La Tr...

Jun 22, 202050 minSeason 1Ep. 9

Bonus Episode: The Best Thing I've Learned About Language part 2

The students featured, in order of appearance, are: * Jo Pearce is a Masters student in English Language & Linguistics at the University of Glasgow. They are currently working on their dissertation, which looks at how voice quality contributes to listener perception of speaker gender. You can find them on Twitter @_Jo_Pearce . * Davie Wallace is from Cumbernauld and has just completed his Senior Honours in English Language & Linguistics. He recently completed his Dissertation, focusing o...

May 25, 202019 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Bonus Episode: The Best Thing I've Learned About Language part 1

The students featured, in order of appearance, are: * Sinaed Callaghan is from Glasgow. She has just completed her joint honours degree with English Language and History. Her dissertation looked at the linguistic variable (ing) and how it was used differently throughout a speakers life span. You can find her on twitter at @SinaedC . * Ryan Shaw-Hawkins is from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, and has just completed his third year. He hopes to continue on into postgraduate study in sociolinguistics.&n...

May 11, 202019 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Multilingualism is not a Curse part 2

Why is it that despite all of the evidence that using multiple languages is good for you, multilingualism is still sometimes treated with suspicion? In this episode, I examine the concept of verbal hygiene, and how the policing of linguistic borders affects our lives. ***  The contributors: * Agnieszka Wodzińska is a writer. She has a zine about the experience of moving to Scotland, which is out now and available on Etsy . It’s called ‘One Of The Good Ones’. Her essay ‘When The Curtain Fall...

Mar 30, 202033 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Multilingualism is not a Curse part 1

The contributors:  * Antonella Sorace is Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. She is a world leading authority on bilingualism over the lifespan. * Kyle Bettley is a Senior Lecturer at Glasgow Clyde College, teaching British Sign Language Studies and ESOL. * Diana Lugo López is a PhD student studying multilingualism at the University of Edinburgh. * Eva Hanna is a PhD student who studies multilingualism at the University of Glasgow. She is also the parent o...

Mar 16, 202031 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Learning to Talk

If you would like to take the Wug test (or test the tiny people in your life), I’ve done a blog post it which allows you to do so here . Remember that it’s not a test of intelligence! It tests a kid’s stage of linguistic development, and also their willingness to play along with the weird world of adults. In this particular episode, I’m focusing on the stories of kids who are acquiring spoken language, and who are moving towards communicating in the same kind of way as I am now. Of course kids a...

Mar 02, 202032 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Singing Voice, Speaking Voice

The contributors:  * Justin Currie performs solo and with his band Del Amitri .  * Aidan Moffat ’s most recent album is a collaboration with RM Hubbert called Here Lies The Body . If you haven’t listened to Arab Strap, look up Ten Years of Tears for a very fast trip through their career. * Dave Hook performs with the band Stanley Odd , and solo as Solareye . He will be supporting Bombskare at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh on the 2nd of March (2019), and you can see him as part of ...

Feb 17, 202029 minSeason 1Ep. 3

More Than One Voice

The contributors: * Jennifer Smith is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Glasgow. At the moment she’s working on two big research projects: One Speaker Two Dialects and The Scots Syntax Atlas. You can find more information about her research and publications here . * Emilia is only seven so she doesn’t (yet) have a website. Watch this space! Thanks also to her brother Daniel, her mum Ula and her dad Kyle. * Thanks to all of the contributors from the Barras – you were endlessly ex...

Feb 03, 202026 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Making Assumptions

The contributors: * Jenny Wartanby is working on a PhD about the Scottish movement to end violence against women. You can follow her on Twitter @armsofrain . * Mark Leslie (“unleash the Glaswegian accent!”) is a photographer who takes INCREDIBLE photos around and about the Barras. You can see some of his work here . * Ewa Wanat is a phonetician working at the University of Glasgow. * Collette McCarthy works in TV - she’s a development executive for World Productions. She is originally from East ...

Jan 20, 202023 minSeason 1Ep. 1
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