Words with meaning
You can get involved in the Voices project for yourself - and start to record the variety of language where you live. Discover our hints for unravelling the story in every word.
If you've had your ears pricked by Word4Word and would like to explore the rich landscape of local variations of language in more depth, why not sample some of the resources available online?
From bbc.co.uk:
Voices - the official website of the BBC Voices project
Language Lab - Voices' investigations and surveys section - including a study into variations within British Sign Language
Voices Where I Live - Voices gets local, in partnership with the BBC Local Radio network
Word Of Mouth - Radio 4's long-running programme exploring words and how we use them
Elsewhere on the web:
The language of language - a handy glossary of terms used in discussing words and how we use them
David Crystal - an internationally respected expert on the English language
Varieties of English in the British Isles - aimed at AS level students, but of interest to everyone
Oxford English Dictionary online - the online version of one of the primary English reference works. The dictionary itself requires a subscription, but there are free features on the site, including a chance to contribute to the next edition of the dictionary
World Englishes Resource Site - hosted at Purdue University in the US and stacked with suggested links and reading
International Phonetic Association - their official site, including an introduction and explanation of the standardised symbols used to represent pronunciation
The Sounds of English and Spanish - University of Iowa site offering an interactive guide to the shapes and sounds of the two languages
Speech accent archive - based at George Mason University in the US, the archive features 441 different accents
Teesspeak - an excellent starting point if you're interested in the dialects and accents on Teesside and beyond
The Bank of English - a joint project between Birmingham University and Harper Collins publishers collecting a database of spoken and written English [Public access is limited]
British Council - the UK government's international organisation for education and cultural relations, including the teaching of English worldwide
British Association for Applied Linguistics - a professional association based in the UK, which provides a forum for people interested in language and the applications of linguistics and a set of ethical guidelines
The BBC and The Open University are not responsible for the content of external websites.
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Content last updated: 20/07/2005
