[Detail] Sociolinguists Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling interview Ocracoke Islander Dave Esham on his boat, 1996. Photograph by Herman Lankford 
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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.
- Map Documenting where Surveys were Completed
- Center for Applied Linguistics Final Report to the National Endowment for the Humanities
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.
- Veterans History Project
- After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor
- California Gold: Folk Music from the 1930’s
- Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections
- Voices from the Days of Slavery
- Voices from the Dust Bowl
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.
Last Updated: 01/12/2010