Category: BBC;
bbc.co.uk; BBC WM
Date: 22.08.2005
Printable version
BBC WM is delving into the roots of dialects, accents
and phrases across the region this week (20 to 28 August),
with a whole host of programmes running in conjunction with BBC Voices,
a unique snapshot of the way people speak across the UK in the early
21st Century.
Kicking off Voices week, Adrian Goldberg
chats to a host of Birmingham celebrities on his Breakfast
Show, including singer Beverley Knight
and Big Brother housemate Alison Hammond to find out
what their voice means to them and whether the way they speak has helped
or hindered their career.
In addition, BBC WM's Danny Kelly
will be receiving elocution lessons from Mary Howland, an expert in
the field and Head of Voice at the Birmingham School of Acting. Mary
will attempt to teach the Liverpudlian Afternoon
Show presenter to speak without his native Scouse accent.
The Drivetime
show, with Paul Franks, is linking up with other BBC
Local Radio stations across the country, including Leeds, Essex and
Devon, in an effort to find out what people think of the Brummie and
Black Country accents.
Nadine Towell, Voices Co-ordinator, BBC WM, says: "During
this special Voices week, programmes across BBC
WM are celebrating and analysing the voices of the West Midlands.
"We've got some great features lined up for every
programme and we want listeners to tell us what their voice means to
them."
BBC Voices is a season of programming across the BBC,
exploring and documenting the way people speak today.
More than 32,000 people have taken part in the BBC's online
survey to create a 'Word Map' that reflects the richness and diversity
of the English language. The results of this are available at bbc.co.uk/voices
- log on and find out more about which words are most popular in your
area.
A selection of the top ten words gathered from the West
Midlands region to describe 'playing truant' are:
1 - Skive
2 - Wag
3 - Bunk off
4 - Play hookie
5 - Skip
6 - Mitch
7 - Bob
8 - Twag
9 - Sickie
10 - Knock off
'Bostin' - to describe something as 'attractive' or
'good' - was only submitted in the West Midlands. Nowhere else in the
country did this word appear, making it exclusive to the region.
Audio-gatherers from the BBC's Nations and Local Radio
stations have recorded more than 1,000 voices from across Britain, telling
a variety of stories about the way they speak and the words they use
locally.
These recordings are to be saved for posterity in the
British Library's Sound Archive - where they will be made available
to people to use for educational purposes or private research.
