The Language Samples Project (LSP) is a project developed in the Anthropology Department of the University of Arizona. The goal for this project is to facilitate the teaching of sounds and sound structures in varieties of English. One way we intend to achieve this goal is through the website which you are currently navigating. This website contains information not only on general topics such as phonetics, phonology, and IPA transcription, but also information on different varieties of English, such as Southern States English, African-American English, and British English. Another way in which we intend to achieve our goal is by creating a database of audio and video samples that is accessible by instructors in the field of sound and language variation.
Sean Hendricks, Ph.D.
Jan Wagner (British English)
Kira Mauro (Midwestern English)
Nastia Snider (Australian English)
Jessica Weinberg (Middle East English)
In the first semester of the project, we have completed much of the basic design and organization for the website. The pages on Southern States English, African-American English, and British English have extensive content, and the American Indian English page is currently under construction. There are also lessons on phonetics, phonology, and IPA transcription. These pages have interactive graphics to enhance the use of the website.
In the second semester of the project, we will be developing content for American Indian English, Chicano English, and New England English and the features pages associated with those varieties. Also, there will be more exercises in phonetics, phonology, and IPA transcription, with emphasis on exercises with data from non-Standard varieties of English. Also, the database will be constructed, and data samples will be uploaded to the site for public consumption. In the future, we intend to shift focus primarily to data collection and cataloguing.
© 2001 The Language Samples Project