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Sociolinguists Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling interview Ocracoke Islander Dave Esham on his boat, 1996. Photograph by Herman Lankford.

[Detail] Sociolinguists Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling

Standards

Collection Overview

American English-Dialect Recordings: The Center for Applied Linguistics Collection contains 118 hours of recordings documenting North American English dialects from 43 states, the District of Columbia and portions of Canada. The collection looks at social aspects of English language uses in various regions of the United States. Included are stories, family histories, interviews about various occupations, descriptions of holiday celebrations, uses of traditional medicine and current topics of interest at the time.

Special Features

These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.

Historical Eras

These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection, although they may not be all-encompassing.

  • Postwar United States, 1945-early 1970s
  • Contemporary United States, 1968-Present

Related Collections and Exhibits

These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.

Other Resources

Recommended additional sources of information.

Search Tips

Specific guidance for searching this collection.

To find items in this collection, search by Keyword or browse by Title, Name, Subject or Place.

For help with general search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.

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