Hi guys. I think I’m done collecting accents now. It takes a long time, particularly the editing. I was gonna get more but I’m burned out.
The files are too big to upload here but I can give them to you via Flash drive if you want.
I edited all the clips down to under 30 seconds or less each — even Moloko and Elka! It’s interesting how everyone is much harder to understand on video than in person.
Seems to me there is a variety of fun things one could do with these, aside from just phonological stuff.
Nearly everyone speaks fast, and everyone uses those little discourse markers or whatever we call them, so that could be useful. Bev’s interview is its own challenge because of the high background noise: another
How ever I (or you guys, if you want) might use these, I thought it would be useful to have the transcripts available for the second or third listening, not just for clarity but because they reveal interesting strategic competence shite.
Beatriz (:28)
G: Hi. What’s your name?
B: B- Beatriz Fantini. I like to dance. I like sewing and reading and writing.
G: How old were you when you started to learn English?
B: Uhhh…. I must’ve been about 11. But I learned it in Latin America, not here. Which means really slow learning process.
G: And where are you from?
B: I’m from Bolivia.
Brandon (:20)
B: My name is Brandon. Um, I enjoy sports, ummmm… basketball, skating, swimming, sports in general. Um, I enjoy reading. Um, trying new things — nothing too dangerous.
G: And where are you from?
B: From Oakland, California.
Nayeon (:27)
N: Hi!
G: What’s your name?
N: Nayeon Kim. Nayeon. My hobby is listening to music.
G: What kind of music?
N: Mmmm, jazz, or … what else … Korean pop songs.
G: How old were you when you learned English?
N: Uhhhhm, frommm, okay… thirteen? When I was middle-school student?
G: And would you please tell me where you’re from?
N: Korea. South Korea [giggles].
Beverly (:19)
B: My name’s Beverly. Beverly Lynette Burkett. I love anything creative… the sort of hands-on… um, I like design and decor and gardening and just generally creative things. I’m from Port Elizabeth on the bay on the south coast of South Africa.
Ishmael (:20)
I: My name is Ish- Ishmael Bhebhe.
G: What’s your favorite hobby?
I: I’m a reader. I mean, I’m a workaholic. I enjoy reading.
G: Reading?
I: Reading and writing.
G: Uh huh.
I: I’m from Zimbabwe. I live in the… right in the capital city, called Harare, which is about, uh, fifteen minutes from the — international airport.
Joseph (:18)
J: My name is Joseph. I love reading and I love listening to music. Reading expands my horizons and music makes me feel good! I learned English as a second language. I was about nine years old, yeah.
G: Okay. Where are you from?
J: I’m from Namibia which is the southwest part of Africa.
Elka (:31)
G: Okay, hi. What’s your name.
E. Elka. I love drumming… Taiko drumming which is a type of Japanese… small drum and you go tu tu tu tu tu tubaboomp. I’m from Bulgaria and, uh, you know, I studied English in Bulgaria and I — all my teachers were Bulgarian, if you’re wondering, you know, about my particular accent. And my only exposure to English was through the BBC World Service. No natural exposure. We didn’t have native speakers
G: How old were you when you learned English?
E: When I … I started English at the age of fourteen.
Moloko (:21)
M: I am Moloko Kgare. I like to sing. I like playing volleyball. I like, uh, talking in front of a mass of people.
G: How old were you when you started to learn English?
M: I was at the age of, uhhh, five or six? I am from South Africa.
Natalia (:19)
N: Er, my name is Natalia. Talking about hobbies, I like dancing, and talking about, like, in general, I just like, um, playing with my son.
G: How old were you when you learned English?
N: When I started learning? Um, I was, uh, thirteen. Uh, I’m from Siberia.