This field project involves observation of verbs of quotation (VQ) in contemporary American English. The data will be collected in a series of "site studies," in which you will note the verbs of quotation in conversations that you participate in or overhear: in your dorm, at lunch, on the street, in cafeterias, at home, or wherever you are. We will be studying change in progress, as a new verb of quotation —be like—enters the language. The questions we will address are:

a. When did this change begin?
b. How did it originate?
c. What social group is leading the change?
d. Does be like mean the same as go and say? If it has a different meaning, what is it?
e. What are the limits of the use of be like in the grammatical system?
f. Is this change spreading to older people who did not learn it as children themselves?
g. To what extent is this change reflected in the media?

The dependent variable is the VQ that introduces a direct quotation. It is important to observe spontaneous (not scripted) use of VQ. You can observe the use of VQ on TV and radio, but DO NOT report on sitcoms or other scripted use which would reflect the ideas of the writers about how certain characters should talk. However, talk shows are fine. If you want to tape them, you’ll have the data to listen back to if you’d like. You can also scan the print media to see how spontaneous speech is reported.

Try to report on 30-40 cases of VQ. Write down as much of the quotation as you will need to enter your data according to the categories of the coding scheme given below. As soon as the web page is ready, you’ll be able to enter your data following the same procedure as in Field Project #1. A lot of the coding categories will consist of pre-coded options, but there will also be a space to include your record of the quote itself.

Coding system for VQ

These are the codes we will use to enter the data in the class spreadsheet. In noting down your examples, please make sure you note the information you’ll need for later coding!

1. The dependent variable, VQ:
s the verb say, as in: He says (s's), "What do you mean?"
g the verb go, as in: He goes, (g's) "What do you mean?"
b the combination be like, as in: He's like, "What do you mean?"
l the bare form like used as a VQ: He like, "What do you mean"
a the combination be all, as in: He's all, "What do you mean?"

2. The linguistic features and environment
Degree of contraction (applies to GO and SAY, not to BE LIKE)
F full form with some stress on the vowel
R reduced form with schwa as the only vowel
Z zero form, with no vowel

The subject: person and number
1 first singular (I)
2 second (you)
3 third singular (he, she it)
4 first plural (we)
6 third plural (they)

The verb
Number: S singular
P plural
Tense: P past
N present
H historical present
O other

3. Speaker-related factors:
Gender
M male
F female

Age (by 5 year-intervals for strangers but exactly if you know the person)

Ethnicity/race
T Italian S South Asian
R Irish E East Asian
J Jewish A African American
C (if you don’t know “Caucasian” H Hispanic
ethnicity in more detail) O other

Occupation (if known)
S student
P professional (doctor, lawyer, professor)
M managerial (owner, director, supervisor)
C clerical (sales, office worker)
W skilled worker (painter, electrician)
U unskilled worker

Geographic background (where raised, 4-13, if known)
P Philadelphia
xx US state, using the two-letter mail abbreviations
E British or other non-US native English speaker (including Canadian)
N non-native speaker of English

Speaker's apparent emotional state
A angry
M amused
E otherwise animated or excited
O other

Internal/external state
F expressing an internal, non-verbal feeling or gesture
T something thought but not said
Q something clearly said aloud
I an imitation of someone else speaking

The speech event
N narrative
O other

4. The social setting
U University C Coffee Shop/Restaurant/Cafeteria
J Job V TV (spontaneous)
S Street R Radio (spontaneous)
T Travel (train, plane, bus) P Print Media (reporting spontaneous)
H Home (outside of university) O Other