Research Spotlight : Manchester Voices
Manchester Voices is a large-scale sociolinguistics research project which explores the rich tapestry of accents, dialects, and identities that make up Greater Manchester.
Manchester Voices is a large-scale sociolinguistics research project which explores the rich tapestry of accents, dialects, and identities that make up Greater Manchester.
A decade on from his initial involvement in the work, as Andy Burnham returns as an MP, Whilst relaunching Rob Drummond, Professor of Sociolinguistics at The Manchester Metropolitan University reflects on the enduring impact of the project.
Professor Drummond specialises in researching, teaching and talking about spoken language and identity, accents, and language-based prejudice.
I’ve been re-designing the Manchester Voices website in preparation for the book being published (the site will host audio examples to illustrate some of the features described in the book). Also, I accidentally deleted the existing site.
Anyway, I came across a familiar face in the archive photos. Andy Burnham took part in the pilot study in 2016 when he was MP for Leigh, and he joined us for the celebration event at Manchester Central Library the following year when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester.
In the Accent Van, Andy gave us some really useful insights into the way he speaks and how it is perceived. And I have a feeling this is a topic that is going to be discussed quite a bit in the coming months!
