Afrocats recently worked with MMU and the Manchester Poetry Library to explore how language impacts the experience of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, where participants were invited to join workshops with Shamshad Khan to explore the accents, dialects, and identities of people living in Manchester.
Nine women aged 24+ from Iran, Africa and South Asia took part in the research which used poetry, relaxation and breathing exercises to hold open and honest conversations
The space was set up as a relaxing environment, decorated with a welcoming sign, soft lights, and flowers, and every participant’s seat was arranged with a decorative cloth, snacks and an extract from the work of local poet, Shirley May.
The conversation was initiated by Shamshad with some music and breathing exercises, and after a brief introduction, the women shared their experiences with language in Manchester; they talked about their different native tongues, their thoughts about accents in the United Kingdom, and who they associate these accents with.
It became clear that some women have not had an opportunity to discuss the accents of the United Kingdom before, and they were unable to identify them by name, not sure what Scottish or Liverpudlian accent were, even though they’ve heard them before.
But they could recognize accents through popular culture which are accessible in their native countries, like the 'Queen’s accent' or what's known as Received Pronunciation (RP), and standard American accent from watching shows from across the pond.
Participants shared the difficulties they face with speaking English in Manchester, one of which slang is particularly challenging: phrases and words like ‘muck in’ and ‘sarnies’ came up for discussion here.
Contrastingly, they also displayed positive attitudes towards these experiences, showing courage and having a laugh about their everyday struggles.
stay with a kind heart do your job in a way that no one else can learn how to cook and look after your kids you should always be kind, kindness never kills anyone Mi mother used to seh… by Shirley May,
After a reading of Shirley May’s poem ‘No cold woman in your bed’, and encouraged by Shamshad, participants were asked to name qualities about themselves and each other, allowing them to discover how others might positively perceive them without their knowledge.
The women showed real engagement in this exercise, they enjoyed writing poetry and it was rewarding to see them being able to share their feelings.
Lastly, after a short break, Shamshad proceeded to the closing part of the session, audio recordings, where participants were recorded individually and asked to read out loud some of their comments and notes taken throughout the session.
Finally, they were given a rose as a memento of the day.
Find out more about MMU's Accent Van project here.
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