13 - The Verbal-Guise Technique

Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the verbal-guise technique (henceforth VGT), a variant of the speaker evaluation paradigm in which guises representing different language varieties are produced by different speakers, each speaking in their habitual language variety. First, key features of the VGT are discussed. Second, a brief historical sketch of the technique’s introduction, development, and proliferation in language attitudes research is offered. Third, key advantages (e.g. speaker authenticity, ease of implementation) and disadvantages (e.g. lack of full experimental control) of the technique are reviewed. Fourth, various practical considerations surrounding research planning and design are described and several recommendations are offered, including: (a) matching speakers on various demographic factors (e.g. sex, age), (b) matching speakers on extraneous vocal characteristics not of interest in the study (e.g. pitch), and (c) using multiple speakers to represent each variety of interest. Fifth, the main concerns surrounding the analysis and interpretation of data obtained using the VGT are discussed. Finally, a brief sketch is provided of the methodological considerations that were involved in designing a recent study utilising the VGT, which examined Americans’ attitudes toward standard American English and nine foreign accents: Arabic, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Hispanic, Mandarin, Russian, and Vietnamese.