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Students invited to speak up for future

WE no longer sound like the Anglo-Celtic race from which white Australians originally came and now Voices of Sydney is exploring how Australian English sounds in different parts of Sydney.

The project is funded by the Australian Research Council and will look at how the speech patterns of adolescents, namely those in Year 10, express their identity and sense of belonging in their communities.
“We have already started recording the speech of students from schools in widely diverse areas across Sydney but are now keen to hear from those in Bankstown,” researcher Joshua Penney said.
The research project, approved by the Department of Education and the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee, now needs parents to get in touch if they are happy for their child to take part.
Students receive a $20 gift voucher and go in the draw to win $100 after taking part.
“We have found that once we get the kids talking about themselves, community and plans for the future, we can’t get them to stop,” Joshua said.
“They really love being given a voice and telling their stories.
“So many people in Sydney now are from multicultural backgrounds and can get left out of the picture if they don’t fit the stereotype and what we will show is that all of these accents are valid and the sound of Sydney today.”
To take part, email joshua.penney@mq.edu.au.