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

Very exciting to be mentioned in a parliamentary debate on regional accents and social mobility! 🎬 Clip below! 👇 The debate drew on research by me & @robdrummond.bsky.social Huge thanks to @joplatt.bsky.social MP for championing this.

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...

We had a great day in Westminster yesterday, talking to MPs and members of the House of Lords about our new research project. Westminster Voices is run by @robdrummond.bsky.social and me and investigates accents in politics. 1/5 accentism.org/westminster-...

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 · 4mo 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

‘That’s someone who knows how to use a thesaurus but not a dictionary’. Lovely comment from @mikewozniak.bsky.social on @threebeansaladpod.bsky.social about some marketing language

19/5: @sophiasgaler.bsky.social in conversation with @robdrummond.bsky.social on language, linguicide, power and resistance. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-kil... @mcrlinguistics.bsky.social

A view from Bolton this morning

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

‘A fire that’s burning again’: Welsh language resurges thanks to adult learners

The number of people on Dysgu Cymraeg courses has risen by 61% since 2017, as people in Wales rediscover the ‘poetry’ of the language

theguardian.com

We have a new event (the first of its kind) coming up in April. It's an online revision conference for AQA A Level Eng Lang Paper 2 and it will feature three excellent guest speakers, along with top tips to approach questions about change & diversity. www.englishandmedia.co.uk/conferences/...

Online Student Revision Conference for AQA A Level English Language (Paper 2)

emagazine 90-minute online revision conference for AQA A Level Language

englishandmedia.co.uk

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Deborah Cameron obituary

Linguist, feminist activist and author of influential books on how language can shape gendered experiences

theguardian.com

How do publisher style guides get made/decided? I'm writing something in which all the '%' symbols need to be changed to 'per cent'. I'm not complaining, I'm just intrigued as to how that choice was discussed and decided. Genuine question.

New eggcorn alert! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggcorn

Schrödinger's Sneetch Belly@rtodkelly.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Now I want to know which CNN reporter or producer doesn't know the word "sycophant."

Incredibly sad news. Debbie was such a huge inspiration to so many of us. A brilliantly clever and supportive academic colleague, and just a fun person to spend time with

EngLangBlog@englangblog.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Desperately sad news about Deborah Cameron today. She was such a brilliant, incisive presence in the world of linguistics and particularly language and gender. Don't know what else to say but I'm sure there will be many tributes paid to her and her work in the days to come.

“each time my university friends jokingly echoed my Leeds-accented “no” with a noise that is perhaps best approximated as “nerhhh”, I found myself undergoing elocution conditioning.” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... by @robynvinter.bsky.social

It’s not easy being an English northerner surrounded by southerners. Here’s how we survive | Robyn Vinter

University undergraduates are forming northern societies, but in other circumstances we find different ways to be ourselves, says Guardian north of England correspondent Robyn Vinter

theguardian.com