1) Record a story

General instructions

  • Record a video on your video camera or webcam and upload it to YouTube.com (See directions for how to record a video directly on YouTube.com.)
  • Make sure you add the tag, "visalect" (without the parentheses) to your video.
  • Introduce yourself by saying where you grew up, mentioning the locations and communities that have influenced the way you sound. For example: "I grew up in Iran but have lived in the United States for 10 years. My parents still speak my country’s language most of the time." You don't have to mention your name, but you can state your age and occupation if you would like. Mention that you're recording this video for VADA.

Specific instructions

  • Tell a story about your day, your life, your family, your friend (no names), your pet, your grandmother, or discuss how you make a perfect cup of tea or coffee; who the cook was in your family growing up; what was it like where you grew up; where were your parents raised. It can be any length you like (but less than 10 minutes!)
  • Finish and upload the video to YouTube.com. Make sure it is tagged "visalect" — if so, it will be fed into the VADA website.