Rhode Island English
Since 2023, I've been documenting how people from Rhode Island speak English. This includes life-long residents, immigrants from overseas, Rhode Islanders who moved out of state, and so on. I'm curious to explore how the local accent(s) have developed and how people feel about them
What is the Rhode Island Study of English (RISE)
One of the main goals of the Rhode Island Study of English (RISE) is to see how different Rhode Islanders speak English. This encompasses their overall accents, how they pronounce specific words, different vocabulary, and more. Many people think different parts of the state speak differently from each other, people of certain ethnic or racial backgrounds may speak differently, or that younger speakers have begun to change their pronunciation. This study wants to see to what extent there are actual regional, generational, and other differences.
What are other goals of RISE?
In addition to exploring the speech of Rhode Islanders, the in-person interviews allow for the documentation of different histories of the regions. For example, the Blackstone valley and other parts of Northern RI have developed differently over the centuries due to the textile mills and industrialization. There have been migration patterns from Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic, Italy, the Middle East, Portugal, and other parts of the world to different areas of the state over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, which means different Rhode Islanders have different experiences. I want to highlight this range of diversity in my homestate.
How Can I Participate/What Should I Expect
Basically, I just want to have a conversation with you! I can meet you anywhere in Rhode Island, preferably a quiet space where I can record you talking. The first part of the conversation is basically telling me about your life, especially what it's like in Rhode Island, how it's changed over time, and other details of your different experiences. The next part is just me showing you several photos for you to describe. Some are very specific to Rhode Island, others are more general. And lastly I have a list of words for you to read with a few other questions specifically about language. Typically takes about 45-60 minutes, but can be longer or shorter depending on how much you want to share! I can compensate you $15 cash for your participation in this study. All of your data will be anonymous. All are welcomed! Reach out to me at matthew.hadodo@plus.ac.at to schedule an appointment!
Who's doing the Study?
My name is Dr. Matthew John Hadodo. I was born in Pawtucket Memorial Hospital and grew up in Woonsocket where my father had a tailor shop and my mother ran Hadodo's discounts for much of the '80s and '90s. When I moved to New Jersey at 7 years old and asked the teacher to go to the Bubblah, the other students' laughter taught me about how different dialects and accents sound to other people. I received my PhD in sociolinguistics in 2020 and have carried two different postdoctoral research positions. The first at the University of Bern in Switzerland, the current at the University of Salzburg in Austria. My ultimate goals are to use the data from the interviews to write books, articles to preserve some of the cultural heritage of what makes Rhode Island so interesting (to me :) ). Read my bio for more details
