Abstract/Summary

The way we speak is bound up with our identity. Your Voice Speaks Volumes looks at why we speak the way we do, how English regional accents came into being, what the voice and the way we speak tell others about us, how our voices represent us, and what some of the misconceptions and prejudices about speech and the speaker are. Using a combination of interviews, references to the media, information from recent research and semi-factual scenarios, it considers how our speech features develop, why we feel such loyalty to our accent communities, how the voice can be used in criminal evidence, what technologies are being developed to support those unable to speak, and how the way we speak helps us wear different social and professional hats. Interviews with professional voice users and transgender speakers demonstrate the importance of the voice in representing who people are and how they want to be perceived. Links to online materials allow the reader to experience some of the features of speech covered. The book concludes with a chapter looking at some issues of speaking English in a global context.