Dialect Evolution and Ongoing Variable Linguistic Input (post-2009)

Alicia Wassink, University of Washington, Department of Linguistics

Tool keywords: Sociophonetics

Instrument name: Dialect Evolution and Ongoing Variable Linguistic Input: English in the Pacific Northwest 200 Years after Lewis and Clark

Instrument type(s): reading passage, demographic and social network questionnaire, word list, conversation schedule, experimental tasks

Analysis method: Combines phonetic elicitation and traditional 5-part variationist sociolinguistic interview

How to cite this tool:

(1) Wassink, A. B. (2015). “Sociolinguistic Patterns in Seattle English” Language Variation and Change 27(1): 31-58. [DOI]

(2) Wassink, A. B. (2016). The Social Networks of Minority Ethnicity Group Members in Washington State. Presentation at NWAV 45, Vancouver, BC., Nov 3 - 6.

The tool includes: A speaker screening questionnaire, reading passages, a listener screening questionnaire, and attitudes survey for listeners.

References:

Wassink, A. B. (2006) “A geometric representation of spectral and temporal vowel features: Quantification of vowel overlap in three varieties,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 119(4), pp 2334-2350.

Comments:

This download includes a packet of materials containing, in order:

Part I: Cconversation modules (topic guide included)

Part II: Demographic and social network questionnaire (to be completed by individual speakers)

Part III: Formal Linguistic Tasks (Lists, Lexical Variables, Minimal Pairs, Semantic Differentials, Reading Passage, Word List)

An online version of the experimental tasks is also being used as part of the elicitation protocol. Please contact the investigators for further information.

Key Considerations:

It is recommended that, to minimize speaker self-monitoring or self-consciousness regarding speech, tasks be completed in the order above.

Possible future modifications:

None planned.