Accent variation and change in England

England is known to have very many different accents which vary across reasonably small geographical spaces. Sociolinguistic work in England has shown that accents are 'levelling' - becoming more alike. However, in some areas there is evidence of divergence from regional norms.

In this project, the student would investigate accent levelling, diffusion and divergence. Using a corpus sociophonetic methodology, the student would investigate change over time in any variety of English spoken in England. Interest applicants are invited to discuss possible projects with the listed supervisor.

Key qualifications and skills

Masters qualification in Linguistics, with some experience of sociolinguistics

Does the project come with funding

No - student must be self-funded.

Final date for receiving applications

Ongoing

Keywords

linguistics; accents; sociolinguistics; sociophonetics