BBC Voices

Conversation in Oxford about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    01:12:48

  • Shelf mark

    C1190/27/01

  • Recording date

    2005-02-24

  • Is part of (Collection)

    BBC Voices Recordings

  • Recording locations

    Oxford, Oxfordshire

  • Interviewees

    Sweetland, Amelia, 1983 March 24- (speaker, female, student), Tommy, 1988 March 14- (speaker, male, sixth-form student), Woodward, Luke, 1967 Feb. 20- (speaker, male, mature student)

  • Interviewers

    Paskin, Judith, 1969 Aug. 19- (speaker, female)

  • Producers

    Radio Oxford

  • Abstract

    [00:00:00] Speakers introduce themselves, mention where they have lived. Discussion of words used to describe ACTIONS. Anecdote about playing truant from school. Discussion about how their speech at university is different to their speech at home.[00:09:55] Discussion of words used to describe EMOTIONS. Discussion about where they learn their words, influence of media/school, talking differently at home, pub banter, rhyming slang, having American father, use of swear words and attitudes towards swearing.[00:20:10] Discussion of words used to describe PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES. Mention mother picking up words from speaker.[00:36:21] Discussion about use and meaning of words used in Oxford: towny/pikey/chav. Discussion about chav used to describe young person in cheap trendy clothes and jewellery, description of a chav. Discussion about how people socialise at school/university, different groups of people.[00:42:50] Discussion of words used to describe CLOTHING. Mention Brookes uniform, being judged on the clothes they wear.[00:51:27] Discussion of words used to describe PEOPLE AND THINGS. Anecdote about American grandfather.[01:04:22] Discussion of words used to describe WEATHER AND SURROUNDINGS. Mention words used for remote control/kit of tools.[01:09:00] Use and meaning of words/phrases they use frequently, Oxford words/phrases, influence of television. Speakers re-introduce themselves.

  • Description

    Amelia and Luke are students at Oxford Brookes University, while Tommy is a sixth-form student whose mother teaches at the university. BBC warning: this interview contains strong or offensive language. Recording made for BBC Voices project of a conversation guided by a BBC interviewer. The conversation follows a loose structure based on eliciting opinions about accents, dialects, the words we use and people's attitude to language.

  • Metadata record:

    View full metadata for this item

Conversation in Oxford about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.

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