The questionnaire consists of two parts. The first part is composed of questions on how you use English. In most cases you will be offered a number of choices. We ask you for gut reactions, so the process is really quick. In the second part we collect some information on your social background, such as your age group, birthplace or your parents’ jobs. You may be asked to self-identify your ethnicity. We need this information in order to spot trends in the language.

All data will be used for statistical analyses only and will not (and cannot) be linked to you personally. We will not ask for your name or your contact details. We do not save your IP address. Your questionnaire would be one in a pool of at least 1000 questionnaires but likely more. If you choose to start the survey, feel free to discontinue the questionnaire at any time without providing any reasons. You will not directly benefit from this study, but your answers will assist us in spotting linguistic change. If you are interested in results, please contact us in early 2015. Your answers will be stored on a server in the European Union. Thanks for your consideration!

If you have questions or concerns, you can ask the person who sent you this link or you can contact the course instructor: Dr. Stefan Dollinger, Assistant Professor (Department of English, University of British Columbia, #397-1873 East Mall, Vancouver BC  V6T 1Z1), stefan DOT dollinger AT ubc DOT ca. Ph: (604) 822 4095.

If you have any concerns about your rights as a research subject and/or your experiences while participating in this study, you may contact the Research Subject Information Line in the UBC Office of Research Services at 604-822-8598 or if long distance e-mail RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598.

Thank you!

-- The students and the instructor from ENGL 489.

• We are interested in the language you use when you are among friends and not in what somebody else might consider “better”.There are no wrong answers, there are only your answers and gut reactions work best here. Please don't go back and change your answers.

• Whenever you see CAPITAL LETTERS in the question text, it is a question on pronunciation. These work best if you read out loud the word in CAPITALS and then select the answer option that fits best.
  

• A * (star) after a question means that you are required to answer it. Wherever the * is missing, you can skip to the next question if it does not apply to you.

• If you have any comments you'd like to share with us, please do so in the comment boxes at the end of each part.