Linguistic Identities in Bristol
Conveners
Dr Nils Langer, Research Fellow and Reader in German Linguistics, Department of German, School of Modern Languages
Mr Tim Shortis, Research Associate, School of Modern Languages
Ms Julie Blake, Research Associate, School of Modern Languages
This workshop series addresses the huge diversity of linguistic varieties and identities that exist in Bristol, and the lack of scholarly or informed discourse about them. This relates both to the traditional regional dialect used in Bristol (‘Bristolian’) and to linguistic diversity associated with patterns of migration in recent years.
Urban varieties of English such as Geordie, Scouse, Brummie, or Cockney traditionally conjure up very similar stereotypes related to their speakers: uneducated, working class, but also friendly and honest. The similarity of stereotypes also pertains to the actual linguistic properties of these languages, e.g. that they have ‘no grammar’, involve a ‘lazy pronunciation’, or that they contain an above-average number of swear words. Something similar appears to apply to Bristolian yet whilst most urban varieties have received considerable scholarly attention, both with regard to their actual linguistic properties and their perceptions amongst the general population, Bristolian and its wider linguistic context have largely been ignored by academics.
Our two workshops aim to be the first step to remedying the situation. It will bring together senior academics and postgraduates from a range of academic disciplines as well as experts from outside the university context to discuss ways to explore a number of linguistic, sociolinguistic, and sociological issues in regard to the urban variety/varieties of Bristol.
The aim of the first workshop will be to bring together a number of experts from a range of disciplines based in the University of Bristol’s School of Modern Languages and the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, the Graduate School of Education, as well as the University of the West of England’s School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, and the School of Education at Bath Spa University. The purpose will be for participants to familiarize themselves with the nature of the challenge, and with recent small-scale activity in this area. The workshop will provide a space in which to exchange disciplinary perspectives and to explore what the key research and impact questions are.
The September workshop (10am - 5pm, Friday 30 September 2011, Verdon-Smith room, IAS) will consist of 5 academic papers and a general round-table discussion:
- General Introduction and Concerns
- Contemporary dialect studies – the national picture
- Recent fieldwork studies on Bristolian
- The (re)presentation of Bristolian and Bristol-identity in the media
- Investigating Bristolian dialect with young people in Bristol
- Non-English Identities in Bristol
The round-table discussion will concentrate minds to think about a strategy for how best to design a focused investigation of the sociolinguistics of Bristolian in its wider linguistic context and the sociology of Bristol identity. In particular, the workshop is aimed at exploring what scholarly activities might best serve the need for serious academic investigation as well as retaining an honest and meaningful relevance to the general public, both lay and culture-makers. Our experts from schools and FE colleges, educational linguistics, and the media lead the discussion on how best to achieve a maximum IMPACT value for future activities.
By the end of the first workshop, a number of productive lines of further enquiry will have been generated. Participants will be invited to form collaborations, within the group and involving further participants as appropriate, to develop project proposal ideas. These will be presented at the second workshop in February, for peer review and development.
For more information on this research workshop series, please contact Nils Langer (nils.langer@bristol.ac.uk, ext: 89841).