Starburst Charts: Methods for investigating the geographical perception of and attitudes towards speech samples

This article looks at ways in which researchers working within the field of perceptual dialectology might investigate the perception of speech. Despite misgivings about the appropriateness of speech perception tasks within the wider field of folk linguistics (Niedzielski & Preston 2003), it is argued that such research is important when seeking a full understanding of linguistic perception. The article moves on to discuss what type of speech perception task is best suited to a perceptual dialectology framework. Data processing methods are discussed in detail, including a step-by-step guide to the creation of ‘starburst charts’. The utility of such charts is demonstrated using an example from fieldwork undertaken in the north of England and possible future developments using the method are introduced.