An information page for parents and carers

Your child is being invited to take part in the Talking About Voices project. Below is some information about the project.

What is Talking About Voices?

Talking About Voices is an opportunity for school pupils in the Greater Manchester area to learn about language and identity while also learning audio production skills. The objective is for the pupils to make a short podcast episode about language and identity.

Who’s running this project?

Talking About Voices is part of Manchester Voices, a research project at Manchester Metropolitan University. To find out more about Manchester Voices, visit our website – there are loads of ways for you to get involved!

You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.

We’re hoping to use Talking About Voices as a way to learn more about how young people in Greater Manchester think and feel about their own language use. We’d also like to inspire interest in language among young people, and to encourage pupils to feel positive about the way they speak.

Can pupils take part from home?

Yes! We’ve designed this project so that pupils can access it from home, provided they have access to an internet connection, and something that they can use to record their voices – this could simply be a mobile phone.

Teachers can also choose to use these materials in the classroom, or the class might work through some sections in the classroom and some at home.

Do I need to do anything to help my child take part?

We’ve designed these materials so that most pupils should be able to work through them fairly independently. Some pupils may need to ask from help from their teachers, and if they’re working from home they may ask for your help. They may also invite you to take part in an interview, where they’ll ask you about your thoughts and feelings on their chosen topic. If so, you will be asked to complete a consent form agreeing to take part in the project as an interviewee.

What happens at the end of the project?

Schools will be invited to submit pupils’ podcast episodes to the Manchester Voices team. The team will select a small number of the best episodes as competition winners, and the winners will receive prizes.

The winning pieces will be made publicly available online, and may be broadcast on the radio and/or played on podcast feeds. We plan to credit the winners using their name, school and year group. Teachers have been asked to inform us if, for any reason, a child’s name, school and year group can’t be made public. You are also welcome to contact us to inform us of this, using the contact form linked to below.

All of the submitted pieces will help to inform the wider Manchester Voices project, giving the team an insight into how young people in Greater Manchester relate to their own language use and that of their community.

Getting in touch

If you’d like to get in touch with us about any aspect of the project, please click on the button below.