Requesting help (language related)

Teani

I need help from people who are not afraid to record their voice and willing to let it be used for educational purposes. Preferably I'd like to get English-speakers with different dialects to sign up.

My reason:

I've got another Teacher practice coming up and I've been given free hands, basically, so long as I am able to combine the subjects English and Geography in a good way. My idea so far is to teach my students about the English-speaking corners of the world.

In geography they will learn which countries have English as a main language, where these countries are, and how they came to be English-speaking countries. They'll also learn about map construction, how it was used during the age of exploration and discoveries by the navy and how it has developed since.

In English they will learn how the language differs in the separate regions, such as dialects, different pronunciation and spelling. We'll also dip in a little into phonetics.

What I will do:

I'll set up a list of words (perhaps with the help from those who want to participate) with different sounds depending on where the speaker is from. I'd also like people to suggest an expression that is typical for their region, so that I can showcase this to my students, pointing out the differences in pronunciation and/or use of words. For example: buddy, friend, mate, chap, lad.

More information to come, once I see I get some help. Perhaps @Haydyn, @Eleanor, @Lin, @Benedicto would like to help out? If you (or someone you know who wants to help out) can speak different dialects this would be awesome, as it helps show even more variety.

Please, it would be absolutely awesome if I could do this with my students. I have about one and a half weeks to prepare.

Vharen

I might be willing to lend my drawl. Do you have a script in mind or something similar?

Haydyn

I've got your USA Southern Twang covered!

Aarbrok

I have your nasally, stoned west coaster accent covered if you need one.

Infin

Haydyn said:

I've got your USA Southern Twang covered!

Between @Haydyn and I you can have all the country you could ever want.

Teani

I'll be setting up a script of some kind, but if you have any suggestions I'll gladly take them! If you know anyone from other countries, please point them in the direction of this thread. I'd really appreciate it!

Eleanor

Yeah, I'll play. RE: Australianisms, the word 'mate' is pretty interesting. Depending on pitch and delivery it's enormously versatile, used as a greeting, an exclamation, an emphasis... all sorts of stuff.

Kaleigh

Will gladly attempt to showcase the Canadian bit.  

Teani

I'm going to list a few things here that I'd like to add to the script (some stolen from Valenae's voice thread). If you can think of anything else that is generally pronounced differently in your own special accent, please let me know.

know knew known

aunt

water

fire

paper

again

shoes

envelope

I'd also like for you to add a sentence that is typical in your region, something that will showcase the extremes of your dialect.

Still looking for help from some places US (I know of south and west so far, the rest please note region so I can bring that into my notes). Rumor has it that @Rilou could perhaps help with Irish and that @Ellenia could perhaps be so kind as to bring in some South African?

Once the script is done, I'll post it here and make an example, so you know what I'm after. Thanks!

Haydyn

I dunno if these are "south" things or just the way I talk... But I've had the following words made fun of in various Skype calls (in no particular order):

(I'm putting the way that I pronounce it in () )

- closet (claw-set)

- sausage (saw-sedge)

- quarter (...I don't even know)

- guitar (git-tar)

And another word that I think you should toss in the USA list (or all of them) is "both". Some nameless people that I like to pick on, tend to throw an "L" in there somewhere and it comes out "bolth".

 

Areka

Pillow, wolf, roof, burrow.

It's interesting how names vary by sides of the country as well (Dougherty on west coast is often Door-ty, vs east coast where it's Dock-er-ty).

I can get you a Midwest/Montanan accent. 

Edit: Stringing words in a sentence would likely give a more natural sound, as reading a list of words tends to leave to analyzing how you sound, rather than just speech. 

Vharen

@Haydyn Kwa-tah! 

Word recommendations...

Herb, cause Brits are weird.

Can't, 'cus ah cain't think ova better'n.

At least one word ending in -ing.

Pecan, cause *eye @Minarael*

Missari

I'll lend to the southern Michigan dialect. It's basically midwest, but we say weird things. Pop instead of soda, Detroit is pronounced Detroi, I know how to say Sault Ste Marie, Mackinac. Silly things like that.

Edit: Pecan depends on the context, it's pea-can pie, but I'll eat pikahns. <<

Minarael

It took me a minute to figure out how to -mispronounce- Mackinac. Now it seems like an obvious thing, but it was so ingrained I was temporarily confused. That's not really a dialect so much as it is a unique place name from a local native language. 

Kinda like everyone screws up Puyallup (and assorted other native place names) around here. 

We need a youper and someone from the bayou in Louisiana. Man, my ex's dad used to drop entire portions of words without batting an eye. It took me like 3 months to learn to translate his ridiculously slow drawl, missed sounds, skipped words, and general accent. 

Missari

Oh dear lord, I worked at a McDonald's in Louisianna for a while. They only put me on the drive-thru once, every customer(that wasn't military) sounded like Mushmouth from Fat Albert. XD

Jasline

My family has a pecan farm and here is how they taught us kids: A pee-can is can that you pee in. A pe-kahn is what you eat. It's been so ingrained in us that whenever I hear the former I picture giving them a soup can. It drives me up the wall.

Oh and a word that should be on the list is aluminum. People in the UK say it way differently than the people in America.

Teani

I've taken some of the suggestions and set up something of a script. If you think this is silly or could be done in a much better way (mind you, it's only for small demonstrations of how different the sounds are and it's held for young teenagers who are still learning the language), speak up so we can change it before people put in time and effort.

Please record yourselves speaking the sentences below. Make sure to read through the script before recording, as you will have to pick out a few words that are regional.

At the end of your recording, make sure to speak one sentence that specifically highlights your regional dialect. It can be anything as long as it's PG13, so no unicorns!

Example!

* I only speak the first two sentences and the last. You should obviously speak all of them.

* Note that I only use the ridiculous, heavy accent on the last one, mostly for your enjoyment, but also to show it can be emphasized a little bit to make the differences more obvious.

--------------------------------

The script!
--------------------------------

1. I know the light metal is called aluminium.

2. The four main elements are earth, fire, water and air.

3. I put both the guitar and the shoes in the closet.

4. There is an envelope on top of the pillow.

5. I wrote down a list on a piece of paper, then went to the <place where you buy groceries> to buy some sausages and <carbonated drinks>.

(Examples: supermarket, shop, store, etc.)

(Examples: soda, soft drink, pop, coke, etc.)

6. It's safer to walk on <the ground alongside the road meant for pedestrians> than out on the road. (Examples: sidewalk, pavement, footpath, footway, platform, etc.)

7. Yesterday me and my <best friend> went out driving for a quarter of an hour.

(Examples: buddy, friend, bestie, etc.)

8. <This is how you say hi to someone you know.>

(Examples: Hello, how are you doing? Yo, how's it hanging. Howdy. Aloha, etc.)

9. <This is my own sentence!>

--------------------------------

If you don't want to post the link here for everyone else to listen to, please send it to me in an email along with whatever region you are from: jessica.ceseika@gmail.com

Aryanne

This looks totally like fun, and I'd love to participate! (I'm Non-Hillbilly West Coast, USA if you want me)

The list is great!

Possibly helpful, possibly annoying critiques:

On #8, I don't know about anyone else, but there's about 5 ways, just off the top of my head, that I regularly greet people I know. Are you going for a "close friend" or "close family member" or something in specific?

for #3, you'd get more variety if you have people come up with their own word for "shoes", since there are a lot of regional terms - especially for "athletic shoes" (kicks, tennis shoes, sneakers, trainers, etc.)

Haydyn

My "close guy friend" greeting is usually along the lines of "inappropriate-unicorn"... But I agree with your insight on #8! And #3 (tennis shoes apply to most everything, except heels and boots).

Oh and flip-flops.

Teani

I'm not always after a different word for something, but rather the pronunciation of the same words. I know for example that shoes sounds just a little but different depending on dialect. It's not much, but it's distinct for people who are not native speakers.

As for the greeting one, pick your most common one or, if you want to add a few, make sure you make a short pause in between so it's not one long rant. I need to be able to pause or possibly cut and paste it into a file with the others (and keep out the unicorns! I don't want to have to edit too much if I don't have time to cut and paste into separate files.)

Toz

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1UtnSMZfNt6

You can have this. Feel free to not use it, but I have an abundance of spare time today and I got bored.

Teani

@Toz: You're hilarious, just so you know. Thank you for helping out!

Southeast US, right?

Aarbrok

Yay for my nasally nasal voice....

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1bYlf58knyh

Teani

Thanks, Aarbrok. If you could please add the numbers ahead of the sentences, that would be nice. Also, the last sentence  is for you to choose something of your own that really showcases your accent. <.< Sorry if I wasn't clear on those things.

Toz

South Carolina, so southeast, yep.

Mariena

I'll help! Ohio if it makes a difference, in the Miami Valley. I'm at work right now but I'll post it up when I get home.

Eleanor

I think you'll be disappointed re: 'common phrase', all the stereotypes the world knows about here are wayyyyyy outdated. Hell, the kids don't even say 'mate' a lot of the time. Let alone bloke, shiela, crikey, strewth.

If you don't mind the example being completely archaic, though, I could make you a short paragraph that's damnear a cipher thanks to all the slang.

Toz

I actually thought of this thread when I heard this again, maybe Eleanor can confirm/deny!

To say hello with an Australian accent, you just say 'good eye mite', with the good and eye grouped together, and mite standing alone. ...Though now that I think about it, if Eleanor does it, it'll be Aussie^2 and that might cause a singularity.

Eleanor

I'm no good at trying to break down the australian accent for other countries. Apparently, 'no ice' is how you say 'nice' in an australian accent, but for more of that you'd have to ask Akary. I mean, to me, it's just 'gudday mate' and that's it.

Teani

@Eleanor: I don't mind if you bring in a completely archaic sentence, as long as it shows just how completely different your accent can be compared to other English-speakers'. Now, if I can't hear what you're trying to say at all, I'll ask for a translation! :P

@Mariena, feel free to help out! The more the merrier.

Same goes for everyone who wants to participate. Just post/send a log, but make sure you mark down your region, so I know.

Kaleigh

I'll try to get that recording up for you sometime soon!! 

Also talked about it with my fiance, and suggested that he do it too. He's from the Philippines, and doesn't have an accent when he speaks, but sometimes he does. I know that they are taught English there at a young age, and everyone in the country basically speaks English. I'll let you know if he does decide to help though!!