The dialect samples on this website are part of an evolving collection of research materials being gathered for students in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts at the University of Lethbridge. In most cases the samples are designed so that the user can listen to a dialect subject speak in a natural conversational style, then to a short story (common text) and finally a list of practice words and sentences.
Not all samples use this format. Earlier samples, for example, only capture natural conversation and a list of research sentences. Sometimes the circumstances or location of a recording only allowed for a brief interview or the interview took place outside the regular recording environment where appropriate texts weren’t available. Every effort has been made to collect as much data as possible to meet the needs of actors and students seeking to do dialect research for performance.
Common Text
Many of the dialect samples on this website include a reading of Comma Gets a Cure, written by Jill McCullough and Barbara Somerville and edited by Douglas N. Honorof. Wherever possible, Voicequest has made this short story a common feature of the dialect samples. Comma Gets a Cure contains an exhaustive number of speech sounds in a variety of forms and arrangements, and is an excellent resource for dialect research.
Some samples on this website make use of a list of dialect study sentences written by David Smukler. Each sentence focuses on a specific vowel, diphthong or consonant sound. This is an equally useful study resource.
Natural Conversation
Every sample includes at least two minutes of a natural conversation. Dialect subjects often work hard at sounding “correct” when asked to read a text and therefore adjust their natural speech patterns, eliminating fundamental features of their dialect. In a more relaxed situation, such as a casual and natural conversation, natural patterns and dialect features return quite readily.
The conversations presented here have been edited so that only the dialect subject is heard and not the person conducting the interview. The following is a list of common questions asked by the interviewer. Not all the responses to these questions are included in each dialect sample.
- Where were born?
- Where else have you lived?
- What languages were spoken in your home?
- Where were your parents from?
- What is your occupation?
- What brought you to Canada?
- Describe the house you grew up in.
- What keeps you centred or grounded?
- Count from 1 – 20.
More often then not, an array of impromptu questions reflecting the subject’s interests or the interviewer’s curiosity were asked.
Practice Words and Sentences
Most samples have the dialect subject reading a list of practice words and sentences. Each word and sentence focuses on a specific vowel, diphthong or consonant sound. Effort has been made to choose practice material that reflects the major distinguishing features of the subject’s dialect, but the practice material is in no way exhaustive. It is suggested you conduct a full investigation of each dialect. An inclusive list of words and sentences is provided for your personal use.
How to Access the Samples
To the right of this page is a list of regions and countries. Click on the region or country that interests you. This will take you to the appropriate page of samples. Each sample has a brief description of the native speaker. Samples are divided into common text, conversation and practice words and sentences. Some samples use a different format, as described above.