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Cardiffians' perceptions of English in the UK
Betsy E Evans1, Matthew Dunbar2, Nicole Chartier1
1Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Journal of Linguistic Geography
|April 23, 2021
Summary
This study explored English dialect perceptions in the UK among Cardiff residents. Findings suggest that greater travel experience correlates with a more detailed understanding of regional speech boundaries.
Area of Science:
- Sociolinguistics
- Perceptual Dialectology
- Geolinguistics
Background:
- Perceptual Dialectology (PD) studies typically exclude face-to-face exposure to dialect variation.
- Understanding how individuals perceive regional English dialects in the UK is crucial for sociolinguistic research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Cardiff residents' perceptions of English dialect boundaries across the United Kingdom.
- To examine the influence of travel experience on participants' dialect boundary mapping.
Main Methods:
- A Perceptual Dialectology (PD) map task was administered to residents of Cardiff, Wales.
- Participant travel history was collected to assess its correlation with dialect perception.
- Geographic Information System (GIS) software (ArcGIS) was used to analyze map responses and create composite dialect boundary maps.
Main Results:
- Cardiff residents perceive dialectal or regional English speech boundaries primarily around major cities in England and Wales.
- A concentration of perceived boundaries was identified in southwest Wales.
- Respondents reporting more extensive travel exhibited more nuanced perceptions of dialect regions compared to less-traveled individuals.
Conclusions:
- Travel experience appears to significantly influence how individuals perceive and delineate dialectal regions.
- PD studies should consider incorporating travel exposure as a variable to better understand dialect perception.
- The findings contribute to the understanding of subjective dialectology and the cognitive mapping of linguistic variation in the UK.
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