Language expert sets up online hub to further understand Dundee dialect
Doctor Neil Kirk from Abertay University previously found the brain treats it as another language.
A leading language expert has set up an online research hub dedicated to finding out more about the Dundee dialect.
Doctor Neil Kirk from Abertay University previously found the brain treats it as another language.
He's now looking into how our inner cogs work when switching between English and Dundonian using pictures.
"It sounds like an easy task but once you get into it, really tapping into parts of your brain that are involved in switching between languages," he said
"It's trickier than it sounds but it can tell us a load about it."
MIND Your Languages is a website dedicated to the further study of underrepresented varieties of dialect and language.
The online format is designed to encourage participation in spite of the coronavirus, and allows eligible visitors to participate in a range of interesting studies.
The project has been made possible through a Carnegie Trust Research Incentive grant of almost £15,000, and will continue to run once the pandemic is over to allow for further expansive research - particularly into forms of dialect that might be forgotten about in traditional language studies.
Dr Kirk said: “Coronavirus has made research much more challenging for academics, and we’ve all had to find new ways to adapt to the circumstances we face.
“MIND Your Languages is something I’d been looking to create before the pandemic even broke out, but the situation has certainly shone a light on just how useful an online lab can be in both the short and long term.
“The project will take an in depth look at Dundonian and we also plan to look at other regional varieties in a wider sense. This is another reason why the online setting is important.
“Running a lab in this way makes it far easier for people across the country and indeed the world to participate in our research.
“It will also allow people to find out about our work, and I think this in itself is quite crucial. It will help people learn why this line of research is important, and why our dialect itself is not only important, but something we should all be proud of.”
Work currently being carried out by the lab includes a study looking into how the brain stores and switches between Dundonian and English.
It follows a previous high-profile study involving Dr Kirk which found that the brain treats dialect in the same way as it does a language.
Another study being run by MIND Your Languages is looking to find out whether our personal qualities can be detected from our speech patterns.
Dr Kirk said: “The funding from the Carnegie Trust has not only allowed us to create this lab, it’s allowing us to run a range of exciting projects in the coming months.
“None of this research would be possible without local speakers participating in our studies, so we are delighted to offer a new platform for people to participate from the comfort of their own home.”
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