Ah, the Wisconsin accent ... as nuanced as it is beautiful – right, youse guys, or no? UWEC graduate Michael Fox has spent the past nine years researching the intricacies of dialects within Wisconsin. Although he is now completing graduate school at North Carolina State University, he's back in Eau Claire this summer to continue researching and collecting data – and he needs your help, Chippewa Vallians!

Fox is looking for volunteers to complete an hour-long audio-recorded interview to help him identify not only how accents in the Southeast and Northwest of Wisconsin differ but also how the English dialects in our state have developed over time. Qualified candidates must be 18 years or older and have grown up (starting at the age of three or less) and lived in or near Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, or La Crosse for the majority of their lives. The information collected will be used for published papers as well as Fox’s dissertation, and all participants will be assigned I.D. numbers to assure that their identities are not revealed. The interview will consist of a conversation about the volunteer’s life in the area, a reading of several short stories, and a short demographic questionnaire.

If you wear your Wisconsin accent with pride and fit all of the other qualifications, give Michael Fox a call at (715)529-0177 or send him an email at mjfox3@ncsu.edu