Activities

Make a list of items of vocabulary that you associate with the older generation in your family/community? Vocabulary related to technology, fashion and lifestyle is particularly prone to change and therefore a good starting point - ask older members of your family/community for their contributions.

Make a list of words or phrases that you use that would sound out of place if used by older speakers? Terms of approval and disapproval – words for ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – are very often readily identified with a particular generation and so might be an interesting area of research.

Listen to a selection of Traditional Dialect recordings on this site (between five and ten) from different parts of England and list any items of vocabulary that you consider to be old-fashioned. Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the words and try and categorise each word or phrase according to the following criteria:

• Do you and your friends use the word/ phrase or not?
• Do you still hear it used by older speakers in your area?
• Do you think it is peculiar to certain regions?

Look at the list (below) of ‘unmediated’ recordings featured on this site. Listen to a couple of recordings - one from near where you live and another in a different part of the country - and list any unusual items of vocabulary. Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the words and try and categorise each word or phrase according to the following criteria:

• Do you and your friends use the word/ phrase or not?
• Do you still hear it used by older speakers in your area?
• Do you think it is peculiar to certain regions?