Self-Recordings and Oral Histories

Abstract

Abstract While the use of different tasks in traditional sociolinguistic interviews can elicit a range of discourse styles, recordings collected in this context, where the primary purpose is linguistic research, inevitably represent a reduced stylistic repertoire. In this chapter, we explore two different methods of data collection that address the challenge of stylistic representation: self-recordings, where participants record their interactions without a linguist present; and oral histories, created for the primary purpose of historical documentation and preservation. The chapter discusses the methodological shortcomings and analytical advantages of these tools, addressing ethical and logistical considerations, and providing practical guidelines for researchers who wish to examine linguistic variation outside of the interview context. We argue that, despite introducing new challenges for sociolinguistic study, these methods have the potential to expand the dimensions of variation that can be explored through linguistic analysis.

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