Take part in our Norwich community recordings
Norwich has a special place in the history of accent and dialect research. In 1968, people from across the city took part in one of the most important studies of language ever carried out in Britain.
Almost 60 years later, we want to continue that legacy. We’re looking to interview people from all over Norwich. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what part of the city you’re from, or whether you think you “have an accent” or not — everyone has a way of speaking, and every voice is equally important to the city’s story.
Your contribution will become part of a permanent record of Norwich accents and dialects, helping to preserve the city’s voices for generations to come.
Take part in our Norwich community recordings
Norwich has a special place in the history of accent and dialect research. In 1968, people from across the city took part in one of the most important studies of language ever carried out in Britain.
Almost 60 years later, we want to continue that legacy. We’re looking to interview people from all over Norwich. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what part of the city you’re from, or whether you think you “have an accent” or not — everyone has a way of speaking, and every voice is equally important to the city’s story.
Your contribution will become part of a permanent record of Norwich accents and dialects, helping to preserve the city’s voices for generations to come.
So, Norwich: let’s be having you.
Who can take part?
We’re looking for people who live in Norwich. You can take part if you:
→ Have lived in Norwich for most of your life, with no more than three years spent away (e.g. for university or work).
→ Are willing to answer a few background questions (e.g. your age, gender and level of education).
→ Are aged 12 or above.
→ Are happy to be audio-recorded by our team.
What does taking part involve?
→ You’ll be give a project information sheet and consent form in-person before the interview begins.
→ We’ll ask you a few brief background questions.
→ We’ll record a short interview about everyday topics, for example: what it’s like to live in Norwich, how the city has changed, whether you know any dialect words, etc.
→ You’ll be asked to read the following out loud: a list of words and an excerpt from a short story. This is not a test – word lists and short stories were used in Trudgill’s original research and we are simply looking to make direct comparisons.
→ You’ll also take part in a listening experiment.
→ We will do our best to make things easy: we can come to you, or we can meet in a convenient public place, such as a library or community venue.
Why are we doing this?
Accents and dialects are an extremely important part of our local heritage and it is important to document and preserve them. By recording speakers today and comparing them with earlier recordings from the city, we can see which features of Norwich speech have stayed the same and which are changing. We can also determine whether any of our local dialect words might be disappearing.