ISC-Oslo · Incremental Sound Change in Oslo (ISC-Oslo)

Incremental Sound Change in Oslo (ISC-Oslo)

In the diversifying urban landscapes of Scandinavia, the project Incremental Sound Change in Oslo (ISC-Oslo), funded under project number 892963, has delved into the rich tapestry of language to uncover the socioeconomic underpinnings of phonetic evolution. The ISC-Oslo project embarked on a scholarly journey to explore the origins of five phonetic changes observed in early 2000s linguistic corpora, employing an innovative angle through the application of Labov's sociolinguistic theories. At the core of this study lies a question of universal relevance: how does the way we speak change in the hustle and bustle of city life, where cultures and social ranks mix and merge? The shifts in pronunciation and speech patterns are like echoes of the broader social changes around us. ISC-Oslo aimed to trace these echoes back to their sources, illuminating the role of societal forces such as migration and economic status in shaping language change. The project set out with the goal of crafting a state-of-the-art tool for marking and studying speech sounds in large databases of Norwegian speech and to examine the emergence of new speech trends. The research team looked into whether today’s speech trends can be traced back to young people from migrant backgrounds, much like previous studies have found. Challenges like getting hold of the right data led the team to creatively adapt, finding additional support and new resources to keep the project on track. As ISC-Oslo wrapped up, it was clear that, despite some detours, the project's heart and drive hadn't changed from the beginning. It not only confirmed key theories about how language changes in diverse urban environments but also went a step further. The team developed Autophon beta and the Forced Alignment of Danish – tools that are milestones in the technological side of speech study. These achievements from ISC-Oslo have significance that stretches beyond university walls. They provide methodologies and instruments that are vital for industries and forensic centers that are fine-tuning speech and language technology. The project has meaningful implications for society by contributing to our understanding of language's role in the ever-changing tapestry of city life. The project has answered a call to better grasp the relationship between our social world and the way we speak. It has shed light on the nuances of speech evolution in Scandinavian cities, confirming the power of being flexible and forward-thinking in research. The project leaves a lasting mark, enhancing the collective knowledge of both the scholarly world and society at large.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз