VBHEC PRESENTS TALK ON "TIDEWATER VOICES" PROJECT MARCH 13

Bridget Anderson, assistant professor of English and applied linguistics at Old Dominion University, will give a talk about her early research project findings on the distinctive linguistic history of the Tidewater region at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center Tuesday, March 13.

The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 7-8:15 p.m. in the Lecture Hall, room 244. A reception and discussion will follow.

Virginia's Tidewater region has long been known for its distinctive and rich linguistic history. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Hampton Roads area, and many of Tidewater's place-names-including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton and Suffolk-reflect its British influence. One of the earliest varieties of American English developed in the area.

In an effort to preserve this cultural and linguistic knowledge for future generations, Anderson's "Tidewater Voices," a dialect and oral history project, showcases the cultural and linguistic differences that make the Tidewater region unique from the rest of Virginia and the nation and seeks to answer the following questions:

*What does it mean to be a native of the Tidewater region?
*How has the area changed over the years?
*What are the key moments in the history of the area?

For more information call 368-4100.