ACCENT PROJECT GUIDE

{top of page} name/date

Subject:
Region:
Age:

1. a paragraph explaining the region: city or town, climate, immigration history, culture, landscape, dialect differences, anything else of interest. This information can largely come from the interview if you ask good questions.

2. a paragraph detailing the characteristics of the voice: monotone? rhythm, pitch, nasality, any unique traits.

3. a list of five words that stand out as good examples of this region. Create a chart that details the differences to IPA in phonetics.

4. a pie chart that gives percentages to the traits that make up your subject’s way of speaking.

5. a full sentence from the interview transcribed in phonetics. this sentence should be at least 10 words long.


* To supplement the oral presentation, a Power Point or Keynote with at least 4 slides needs to be included: the city/town, pie chart, etc.

Presentation = 60%
Paper = 40%

a few terms

PHONETICS
Phonetics is a written language who’s symbols represent human vocal sounds. These sounds are divided into many categories, all of which help to define the mechanics of speech.

ACCENT
The sound of the voice. Dark, Light, Thin, Flat, Twangy, etc.
Rhythm and pitch are also important elements of accents.

DIALECT
The vocabulary or grammar of a given region.

REGIONALISM
An element of speech (Accent and/or Dialect) that is particular to a given region.

MONOPHTHONGS
Vowels that contain only one phonic vowel sound.

DIPHTHONGS
Vowels that contain two vowel sounds.

PLOSIVES
Consonant sounds produced by complete closure of the oral passage and subsequent release accompanied by a burst of air, as in the sound (p) in pit or (d) in dog.

FRICATIVES
A consonant, such as f or s, produced by the forcing of breath through a constricted passage.