Manchester Voices

Dr Rob Drummond

dr rob drummond from the manchester voices project standing in front of the accent van in piccadilly manchester
This is a past event
Date and time
20 October 2022
7.00 pm
Add to Calendar 02/06/2025 01:08 PM 02/06/2025 01:08 PM Europe/London Manchester Voices A Manchester Lit & Phil event: Explore the accents, dialects and identities of Greater Manchester and discover more about the complex relationship between spoken language and a sense of identity. The Place at Platt Lane, The Place at Platt Lane, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 7FZ
Price
£1.00 on the door

Overview

Dr Rob Drummond explores the accents, dialects and identities of Greater Manchester.

Dr Rob Drummond is the man behind ‘Manchester Voices’, the largest sociolinguistics project to examine the spoken language of Greater Manchester.

His talk tackles intriguing questions such as: Does the way we speak relate to who we are? How different are accents and dialects across Greater Manchester? Do our voices suggest older loyalties to Lancashire and Cheshire? He’ll also explain why understanding how language works is valuable to everyone.

Rob’s research team used online research and Geographic Information System software to examine archive recordings of local people born around 1900. At the same time, they collected and investigated current linguistic data in the Accent Van, their mobile recording booth.

The findings reveal a deep, complex relationship between spoken language and a sense of identity. They offer new insights into how acutely aware many people are of how they use language. And they show that accent diversity is alive and well across the region. Although sadly, some cherished dialect terms are beginning to fade.

Rob’s research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

This is a 'Lit & Phil Local' event. Priority booking is offered to local communities.

dr rob drummond

Dr Rob Drummond

Dr Rob Drummond is a Reader in Sociolinguistics and Head of the Centre for Research in Creative Writing, English Literature and Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. He’s also a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3’s The Verb as the programme’s ‘resident linguist’.

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