I was on the Archers podcast recently, recorded live at the BBC Contains Strong Language Festival, and they asked me to write a Haiku to introduce myself 😁 I listen to speech In Manchester and Ambridge And call this my job. Thankyouverymuch www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Archers Podcast - 103. Interrogating Harrison Burns at BBC Contains Strong Language festival - BBC Sounds

Emma Freud interrogates James Cartwright - Harrison - at Contains Strong Language festival

bbc.co.uk

Manchester Voices on WoM with @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social We spoke about: 🐝 How many people you can fit in the back of the Accent Van 🐝 happY, lettER, and SQUARE vowel sounds 🐝 Whether the 1990s Oasis-inspired Manchester accent is real or fake and lots more! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Word of Mouth - Voices of Manchester - BBC Sounds

Rob Drummond talks to Michael about the ways people talk in Manchester.

bbc.co.uk

Early stroll. Rows of grey bins waiting to complete the next part of their cycle. A watering can on the back of a flatbed truck. I hear an owl by the bridle path. A passing car seems to kickstart time. A dropped pencil, scribbleless.

Make a band edible Whitesnack

kɛbɹah zmɪeʒd@sesquiotic.bsky.social · last mo.

Make a band edible The Moody Blueberries

A great chat with @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social about the accents of Greater Manchester! Listen on 20th September here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... For more info about the Manchester Voices project (and access to lots of videos, maps and project findings) visit manchestervoices.org

On my way to London to talk to @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social on Word of Mouth about all things (Greater) Manchester Voices! *yes I am making notes from my own book on the train, and yes I do realise how that looks 😂😂

Just realised I’m matching with my new book by @robdrummond.bsky.social - excited to finally read it!

What an amazing book

Last week I wrote about Andy Burnham, the first man in Number 10 to have an accent like millions of his countrymen: a northern English one. Thanks to Amanda Cole, @robdrummond.bsky.social and Geoff Lindsey for their insight. www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Andy Burnham and the politics of accents

His way of speaking marks him out in a long line of posh-sounding PMs

economist.com

Product names that work better in the north of England

One more. Definitely the last one! Going out with a bang

Last one from that BBC documentary in 1985. This is about talking to machines

Another clip from that documentary. Peter Bowles on the effect on his sense of identity of losing his Nottingham accent at drama school

Just came across this amazing documentary. Expect some more clips today!

I've got a new book coming out soon - Manchester Voices: Accents, Dialects and Identities - published by @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org. And right now @waterstones.bsky.social are offering 25% off if you pre-order it! Use the code SUMMER26 today or tomorrow. #WPreorder #ManchesterVoices

‘the fall in teenagers opting for literature is linked to an unimaginative GCSE (surely something that a new prime minister with an English degree could fix)’ Easy win here, Mr Burnham! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on humanities cuts in universities: academic departments are more than cost centres | Editorial

Editorial: Literature, the arts and social sciences must not be sacrificed as higher education funding is squeezed

theguardian.com

Don't get me wrong, I like working there, but this is a bit much

It’s generally true that certain linguistic fillers (like), or speakers of those fillers (young people especially women) get singled out for criticism more than others. So maybe it’s a good thing that John Humphrys gets pointlessly irritated by everything equally? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I understand that Claire Fox was once an English teacher - and so should know that this is utter nonsense - technically accentism (though no doubt she'd dismiss this as wokery). There are dozens of Manchester accents - explore.manchestervoices.org has the receipts. @robdrummond.bsky.social

Interesting article about the complex relationship between accent, perception and identity when speaking English in India indianexpress.com/article/fres...

The Accent Olympics: India’s favourite hobby is judging English

From Mallu accents to American twangs, India's obsession with how English should sound reveals deeper anxieties about class, aspiration and belonging.

indianexpress.com

Just been sent this by an English teacher (along with a postcard with the line “Keep upsetting the Daily Mail - this means you’re doing a great job!”) 😁 I can see who sent it, but have no way of saying thank you. If you see this, then thanks very much! (Very good) book by Simon Griffin.

just checking the index proofs for the Manchester Voices book, and bizarrely this isn't a typo 😀

"English doesn't belong to one country or one accent. It's shaped by us all." 🗣💬 It's great to see the @britishcouncil.bsky.social engaging w/ #English varieties, accents, ideologies, hierarchies, etc. Thanks @robdrummond.bsky.social! #langsky #ELT www.britishcouncil.org/english-language-day

I've written this piece for @natecommunity.bsky.social about accent prejudice based on some of the work done by @teachertapp.bsky.social last year and from discussions with ace linguists @dramandacole.bsky.social and @robdrummond.bsky.social

I did some work with the British Council for English Language Day. The result is a really nice website exploring some of the diversity in English! www.britishcouncil.org/english-lang...

That was fun. Especially nice to see @clrnance.bsky.social on screen while I was waiting to start 😁

Rob Drummond@robdrummond.bsky.social · 6mo ago

I’ll be on BBC Breakfast in a bit, talking about accents!

I’ll be on BBC Breakfast in a bit, talking about accents!

filling out check-in forms online before an appointment and impressed by the inclusivity of this urgent care's "preferred language" options #linguistics