The participants were asked to describe how they spoke in their own words.
How do you describe your accent: "Typical to the area I'm from."
Have there been other influences on the way you speak: "I have spent my entire life in Seaham and surrounding towns and villages; living here for 34.5 years."
Do you have skills in languages other than English?: Yes
Other languages: British Sign Language
TOM: The term I used when I was a kid was "twank" which again sounds quite rude (Ha ha, I've never heard that), sort of like some sort of rhyming slang. And I always say that and people I know, members of me family and people I went to school with used it, but I've never heard it being used since, so I'm not sure whether I invented it (laughs). I doubt it though, and people I've spoken to since have never heard of it.
Women talk 'posher': Across the world in almost every language studied, females use more 'prestige', 'standard' forms of language. The exception is extreme Arabic societies where women do not participate in public life.
