BBC Voices
Conversation in Milford Haven (Aberdaugleddau) about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.
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Type
sound
Duration
00:59:33
Shelf mark
C1190/41/10
Recording date
2005-01-28
Is part of (Collection)
BBC Voices Recordings
Recording locations
Milford Haven (Aberdaugleddau), Pembrokeshire
Interviewees
Evans, Nancy Chung, 1950 Dec. 22- (speaker, female, housewife), John, Barbara, 1934 May 20- (speaker, female, secretary), John, William Edward James (Jim), 1929 Aug. 19- (speaker, male, interviewee, carpenter), Thorne, Elizabeth (Betty), 1935 April 11- (speaker, female, interviewee)
Interviewers
Morgan, Anita, 1932 August 06- (speaker, female)
Producers
Radio Wales
Abstract
[00:00:00] Speakers introduce themselves. Anecdotes about hearing their voice for first time, attitudes towards their own voice. Description of working for British Telecom, experience of being telephonist, people in Letterston only being able to speak broken English in 1950s, how much Welsh is spoken locally. Mention the Landsker line: imaginary boundary dividing Welsh/English speakers in South-West Wales. Discussion about other peoples attitudes towards their accent, anecdote about English woman telling him he had beautiful Welsh lilt on telephone, how accents vary over small area locally, attitudes towards regional accents.[00:08:54] Description of difficulty understanding Welsh accent after learning Oxford English in Singapore, trying to lose her Singapore accent, sadness at younger generation Chinese in United Kingdom being ashamed of Chinese language/culture, her daughter not wanting to speak Chinese, being only Chinese people in local community. Discussion about attitudes towards regional/international accents. Comment that he would never be ashamed of his accent anywhere in the world.[00:13:48] Anecdote about getting rid of time share touts abroad by speaking Welsh. Discussion about learning/speaking Welsh, anecdotes about English people trying to pronounce Welsh words.[00:16:11] Description of why she would like to lose her Singapore accent, her daughter and other Chinese people correcting her pronunciation, Chinese language being social stigma for young Chinese people these days. Anecdote about not being understood because of her accent.[00:19:48] Discussion about judging people by their accent, how they react to people with posh accent. Discussion about use of swear words and attitudes towards swearing, anecdote about using swear word on radio, bad language on television/used by young people. Mention inadequacy of euphemism, words she uses frequently.[00:25:10] Discussion of words used to describe EMOTIONS.[00:27:28] Discussion of words used to describe ACTIONS. Comment that she never played truant when younger.[00:28:51] Discussion of words used to describe PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES.[00:31:19] Discussion of words used to describe WEATHER AND SURROUNDINGS.[00:33:15] Discussion of words used to describe PEOPLE AND THINGS.[00:35:53] Discussion of words used to describe CLOTHING.[00:37:21] Discussion/anecdotes about other peoples reactions to their accent, whether they would drop their accent to get on in life, what the world would lose if regional accents disappeared. Discussion about attitudes towards regional accents, which ones they would/wouldnt like to have. Anecdote about having difficulty understanding Yorkshireman.[00:45:50] Discussion about local/family words/sayings, mention euphemism used by father, words used for people from different places, nicknames for members of family/friends. Anecdote about teacher making joke out of her middle name. Description of what happened when father briefly came home from working at sea; going to school then going to cinema afterwards with mother.[00:54:57] Discussion about influencing/correcting their children/grandchildrens speech. Comment that Singapore-born speaker found it difficult to understand Welsh accent when first met husband. Speakers re-introduce themselves, mention their nicknames.
Description
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. The four interviewees are all Badminton enthusiasts and members of the Guys and Dolls and Bad Boys and Girls Club in Milford Haven.
Metadata record:
Conversation in Milford Haven (Aberdaugleddau) about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.
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