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Dr Kevin David Watson

Contact

Department: Faculty of Arts ; Linguistics

Email: kevin.watson@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3694601

Office: Elsie Locke 103

Language: English

About
Research / Creative works
Supervision
Networks
Methods & Equipment

Fields of Research

  • phonetics
  • phonology
  • sociolinguistics
  • accents and dialects
  • British English
  • New Zealand English

Researcher Summary

I am interested in the way language works, in how language is shaped by our social lives, and in how it can affect our thoughts and behaviour. My main research is in the area of sociolinguistics, which means I work to understand the complex relationships between society and language. Specifically, I use large databases of language, called corpora, and experimental methodologies to examine language production & perception and sound change. I have published on the accents of north-west England and New Zealand, and also on variation in learning English as a second language.

Subject Area: Disciplines

  • Languages & Linguistics: Linguistics
  • Digital Humanities: Digital Humanities

Resources

  • Staff webpage
  • kevin3.jpg

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

Journal Articles
  • Brand J., Hay J., Clark L., Watson K. and Sóskuthy M. (2021) Systematic co-variation of monophthongs across speakers of New Zealand English. Journal of Phonetics 88 101096: 101096-101096. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2021.101096.
  • Rashid S., Howard J., Cunningham U. and Watson K. (2021) Learner training in MALL: a Pakistani case study. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching 15(2): 181-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1737076.
  • Villarreal D., Clark L., Hay J. and Watson K. (2021) Gender separation and the speech community: Rhoticity in early 20th century Southland New Zealand English. Language Variation and Change 33(2): 245-266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954394521000090.
  • Villarreal D., Clark L., Hay J. and Watson K. (2020) From categories to gradience: Auto-coding sociophonetic variation with random forests. Laboratory Phonology 11(1) 6 http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/labphon.216.
  • Heyne M., Wang X., Derrick D., Dorreen K. and Watson KD. (2018) The articulation of /ɹ/ in New Zealand English. Journal of the International Phonetic Association Online First http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025100318000324.
  • Le T., Cunningham UM. and Watson K. (2018) The relationship between willingness to communicate and social presence in an online English language course. The JALT CALL Journal 14(1): 43-59.
  • Rashid S., Cunningham U., Watson K. and Howard J. (2018) Revisiting the digital divide(s): Technology-enhanced English language practices at a university in Pakistan. Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics 1(2): 64-86. http://dx.doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v1n2.7.
  • Rashid S., Cunningham U. and Watson KD. (2017) Task-based language teaching with smartphones: A case study in Pakistan. Teachers and Curriculum 17(2): 33-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.15663/tandc.v17i2.167.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2016) Phonological leveling, diffusion, and divergence:/t/lenition in Liverpool and its hinterland. Language Variation and Change 28(1): 31-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954394515000204.
  • Fromont R. and Watson K. (2016) Factors influencing automatic segmental alignment of sociophonetic corpora. Corpora 11(3): 401-431. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/cor.2016.0101.
  • Leach H., Watson K. and Gnevsheva K. (2016) Perceptual dialectology in northern England: Accent recognition, geographical proximity and cultural prominence. Journal of Sociolinguistics 20(2): 192-211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/josl.12178.
  • Watson K. (2015) First year sociolinguistics and the teaching/research nexus. Te Reo 58: 115-132.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2015) Exploring listeners' real-time reactions to regional accents. Language Awareness 24(1): 38-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2014.882346.
  • Honeybone P. and Watson K. (2013) Salience and the sociolinguistics of Scouse spelling: Exploring the phonology of the Contemporary Humorous Localised Dialect Literature of Liverpool. English World-Wide 34(3): 305-340. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/eww.34.3.03hon.
  • Maguire W., Clark L. and Watson K. (2013) Introduction: what are mergers and can they be reversed? English Language and Linguistics 17(2): 229-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1360674313000014.
  • Walsh L., Hay J., Bent D., Grant L., King J., Millar P., Papp V. and Watson K. (2013) The UC QuakeBox Project: Creation of a community-focused research archive. New Zealand English Journal 27: 20-32.
  • Watson K. (2013) Language myths and New Zealand English in the news. New Zealand English Journal 27: 1-6.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2013) How salient is the NURSE~SQUARE merger? English Language and Linguistics 17(2): 297-323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S136067431300004X.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2011) Testing claims of a usage-based phonology with Liverpool English t-to-r. English Language and Linguistics 15(3): 523-547. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1360674311000153.
  • Watson K. (2007) Liverpool English. Journal of the International Phonetics Association 37(3): 351-360. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025100307003180.
  • Watson K. (2006) Lenition and Segmental Interaction: Evidence from Liverpool English (and Spanish). Glossa 1(1): 54-71.
  • Watson K. (2006) Phonological resistance and innovation in the North-West of England. English Today 22(2): 55-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0266078406002100.
  • Watson KD. (2002) The realisation of final /t/ in Liverpool English.. Durham Working Papers in Linguistics 8: 195-205.
Chapters
  • Watson K. and Jensen MM. (2020) Automatic analysis of dialect literature: advantages and challenges. Dialect Writing and the North of England: 316-350. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Watson KD. (2018) Dialects of British and Southern Hemisphere English. In Boberg C; Nerbonne J; Watt D (Ed.), The Handbook of Dialectology: 439-449. Oxford: Blackwell. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118827628.ch25.
  • Watson KD. (2018) Phonetics. In Culpeper J; Kerswill P; Wodak R; McEnery T; Katamba F (Ed.), English Language: Description, Variation and Context (2nd ed.): 11-28. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Watson KD. (2018) Regional variation in English accents and dialects. In Culpeper J; Kerswill P; Wodak R; McEnery T; Katamba F (Ed.), English Language: Description, Variation and Context (2nd ed.): 271-290. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Honeybone P., Watson KD. and van Eyndhoven S. (2017) Lenition and T-to-R are differently salient: The representation of competing realisations of /t/ in Liverpool English dialect literature. In Hancil S; Beal J (Ed.), Perspectives on Northern Englishes: 83-108. Berlin: De Gruyter. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110450903.
  • Watson KD. and Clark L. (2017) The Origins of Liverpool English. In Hickey R (Ed.), Listening to the Past: Audio Records of Accents of English: 114-141. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781107279865.007.
  • Kerswill P. and Watson K. (2013) Phonological considersations in sociophonetics. In Holmes J; Hazen K (Ed.), Research Methods in Sociolinguistics: A Practical Guide: 136-148. London: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Watson K. (2012) Patterns of accent variation in British English. In Clayton D (Ed.), Language. A Student Handbook on Key Topics and Theories: 44-59. London: English and Media Centre.
  • Watson K. (2009) Phonetics. In Culpeper J; Katamba F; Kerswill P; Wodak R; McEnery T (Ed.), English Language: Description, Variation and Context: 11-29. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Watson K. (2009) Regional Variation in English Accents and Dialects. In Culpeper J; Katamba F; Kerswill P; Wodak R; McEnery T (Ed.), English Language: Description, Variation and Context: 337-357. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Watson K. (2007) Is Scouse Getting Scouser? Exploring Phonological Change in Contemporary Liverpool English. In Grant A; Grey C (Ed.), The Mersey Sound: Liverpool's Language, People and Places: 215-241. Ormskirk: Open House Press.
Edited Volumes
  • Watson KD (Ed.) (2015) Teaching Linguistics and Sociolinguistics in New Zealand. Te Reo 58New Zealand: 59-132.
  • Maguire W., Clark L. and Watson K. (2013) English Language and Linguistics 17(2) Special Issue: Phonological mergers in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 161pp.
Conference Contributions - Published
  • Brand J., Hay J., Clark L., Watson K. and Sóskuthy M. (2019) Systematic covariation of monophthongs across speakers of New Zealand English. In Calhoun S; Escudero P; Tabain M; Warren P (Eds). Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences: 1878-1882. Canberra: Australasian Speech Science Technology Association Inc.
Conference Contributions - Other
  • Brand J., Hay J., Clark L., Watson K. and Soskuthy M. (2020) At the margins of vowel-space change: Leaders and laggers in the evolution of vocalic subsystems. Vancouver (online): Laboratory Phonology 17, 8 Jul 2020.
  • Brand J., Hay J., Clark L., Watson K. and Soskuthy M. (2019) Detecting co-variation of vowels withing the time-course of conversations. University of Canterbury: Linguistic Society Conference of New Zealand, 28-29 Nov 2019.
  • Ford G. and Watson K. (2019) "They are us” too: a corpus-assisted analysis of discourse about immigrants on New Zealand talk radio before March 15, 2019.. Christchurch: Conference of the New Zealand Political Studies Association, 27-28 Nov 2019.
  • Villarreal D., Clark L., Hay J. and Watson K. (2019) The Short Front Vowel Shift in Southland English. University of Canterbury: Linguistics Society of New Zealand, 28 Nov 2019.
  • Villarreal D., Papp V., Clark L., Hay J. and Watson K. (2019) Telling a new story with old data: Random-forest classification of non-prevocalic (r) in Southland New Zealand English. Macquarie University, Sydney: Variation and Language Processing, 23-25 Jan 2019.
  • Rose D., Hay JB., King J. and Watson K. (2018) QuakeFace: Large-Scale Automatic Facial Feature Annotation. Auckland: Sociolinguistics Symposium 22, 27-30 Jun 2018.
  • Villarreal D., Clark L., Hay J. and Watson K. (2018) Directions of change in Southland English (r). Victoria University of Wellington: New Zealand Linguistiics Society Conference, 16-18 Nov 2018.
  • Hobbs C., Papp VG. and Watson K. (2017) /z/ devoicing(?) in New Zealand English: A comparison of Maori and Pakeha speakers. Auckland, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-23 Nov 2017.
  • Watson KD. and Papp V. (2017) Exploring the Canterbury Earthquakes using automated topic analysis. University of Bristol, UK: iMean, 6-8 Apr 2017.
  • Culpeper J., Johnson DE. and Watson KD. (2016) Multimodal requests and (im)politeness: The perception of directness, prosody and power. Manchester, UK: Linguistic Im/politeness, Aggression and Rudeness Conference (LIAR), 12-14 Jul 2016.
  • Heyne M., Dorreen K., Wang X., Derrick D. and Watson KD. (2016) An ultrasound study of /r/ in New Zealand English. Wellington, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-22 Nov 2016.
  • Heyne M., Wang X., Dorreen K., Derrick D. and Watson KD. (2016) The articulation of /r/ in New Zealand English. Honolulu, HI, USA: Acoustical Society of America and Acoustical Society of Japan, 28 Nov-2 Dec 2016.
  • Le TV., Cunningham U. and Watson KD. (2016) Online course to improve communicative skills for high school students. Qui Nhon, Vietnam: 7th Annual International Conference on TESOL: Innovations in English Teaching and Learning, 11-13 Aug 2016.
  • Le VT., Cunningham U. and Watson KD. (2016) Students' practices and beliefs about technology. Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: 2nd International TESOL Conference: Promoting Effective Change in the Language Classroom, 27-28 Aug 2016.
  • Papp V. and Watson KD. (2016) Automated topic analysis and the QuakeBox corpus. Wellington, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-22 Nov 2016.
  • Peach E., Papp V. and Watson KD. (2016) Effects of perceived ethnicity and hesitation markers in New Zealand court transcripts. Wellington, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-22 Nov 2016.
  • Sun K., Wang X., Gnevsheva K. and Watson KD. (2016) Seeing a foreign accent, accentedness perception in Asian and Caucasian Non-Native English Speakers. Wellington, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-22 Nov 2016.
  • Sutrave N., Watson KD. and Beckner C. (2016) A usage-based account of t-to-r in Northern England: the role of predictability. Lodz, Poland: Accents 2016, 1-3 Dec 2016.
  • Wang X. and Watson K. (2016) Speaker attitudes in koineisation in Hohhot, China: exploring individual and group patterns. Chiayi, Taiwan: New Ways of Analyzing Variation in Asia-Pacific (NWAV-AP 4), 22-24 Apr 2016.
  • Wang X., Sun K., Gnevsheva K. and Watson KD. (2016) Seeing a foreign accent: Perception of accentedness in Asian and Caucasian speakers by Asian listeners. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Linguistics Society conference, 7-9 Dec 2016.
  • Zimmermann J., Rose D., Burkle D. and Watson KD. (2016) The Role of Expectability and Sub-Phonemic Detail in Speech Perception: English has-clitic S vs. plural S. Wellington, New Zealand: Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference (Language in Society), 21-22 Nov 2016.
  • Clark L., Hay J., Rathcke T., Stuart-Smith J. and Watson K. (2015) How Scottish ancestry influenced early New Zealanders' vowel lengths. Dunedin, New Zealand: New Zealand Linguistics Society, 14-15 Dec 2015.
  • Watson K., Clark L. and van Eyndhoven S. (2015) T-to-R in north-west England: lexical frequency, schema strength and transitional probability. Newcastle, UK: 13th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference, 20-25 Jul 2015.
  • Watson K., Hay J., Stuart-Smith J., Clark L. and Rathcke T. (2015) How Scottish ancestry influenced early New Zealanders' vowel lengths. York, UK: 10th UK Language Variation and Change Conference (UKLVC), 1-3 Sep 2015.
  • Honeybone P. and Watson K. (2014) Liverpool Dialect Literature: quantitative analysis and phonological salience. Rouen, France: International Conference on Northern British English (NBC 2014), 12-13 May 2014.
  • Watson K. (2014) (Socio)linguistics and the teaching/research nexus. 2014 Language and Society Conference, 24-25 Nov 2014.
  • Watson K., Leach H. and Gnevsheva K. (2014) Proximity, cultural prominence and sociolinguistic salience in perceptual dialectology. 2014 Language and Society Conference, 24-25 Nov 2014.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2013) Comparing individual speaker constraints with the speech community: /t/ debuccalisation in English. Christchurch, New Zealand: Variation and Language Processing Conference (VALP), 16-18 Jan 2013.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2013) The transmission and diffusion of /t/ debuccalisation. Sheffield, UK: UK Language Variation and Change (UKLVC), 2-4 Sep 2013.
  • Ford G., Watson K. and Hayward B. (2013) The New Zealand Political Language Corpus and Citizen Taxpayer: Introducing a new corpus and a case study exploring representations of the taxpayer. Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Political Studies Association Conference, 2-3 Dec 2013.
  • Peek M. and Watson K. (2013) Personality and non-linguistic perceptual sensitivity predict phonetic convergence. Christchurch, New Zealand: Variation and Language Processing Conference (VALP), 16-18 Jan 2013.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2012) Sociolinguistic salience and the NURSE/SQUARE merger. Auckland, New Zealand: 13th Language and Society Conference, 27-28 Nov 2012.
  • Watson K., Clark L. and Gold E. (2012) Phonological convergence and divergence in North-West England: the case of /t/ lenition. Auckland, New Zealand: 13th Language and Society Conference, 27-28 Nov 2012.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2011) Capturing listeners' real-time reactions to the NURSE~SQUARE merger. Boston, MA, USA: International Society for the Linguistics of English 2011 Conference (ISLE 2011), 17-21 Jun 2011.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2011) Evidence for phonological priming from sociophonetics. Edge Hill University, UK: 8th UK Language Variation and Change Conference (UKLVC8), 12-14 Sep 2011.
  • Clark L., Watson K. and West H. (2011) Th-fronting in the north west: new data from an old friend. Edge Hill University, UK: 8th UK Language Variation and Change Conference (UKLVC8), 12-14 Sep 2011.
  • Maguire W., Clark L. and Watson K. (2011) The meaning of 'merger'. Boston, MA, USA: International Society for the Linguistics of English 2011 Conference (ISLE 2011), 17-21 Jun 2011.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2011) Capturing listeners' real-time reactions to local and supralocal linguistic features. Chester, UK: Variation and Language Processing Conference, 11-13 Apr 2011.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2011) Change point analysis and language attitudes: measuring reactions to regional variation in real time. Poznan, Poland: Poznan Linguistics Meeting, 1-3 May 2011.
  • Watson K., Clark L. and West H. (2011) Changes in Liverpool English interdental fricatives. Wellington, New Zealand: 19th Biennial Conference of the Linguistics Society of New Zealand, 17-18 Nov 2011.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2010) Testing a usage-based phonology with northern English t-to-r. Montpellier, France: PAC Workshop 2010, The Phonology of English: usage, varieties and structure, 13-15 Sep 2010.
  • Watson K. (2010) Lax articulation or fine-grained control?: Plosive lenition in Liverpool English. Landau/Pfalz, Germany: 34th International LAUD Symposium on Cognitive Sociolinguistics, 15-18 Mar 2010.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2010) t-to-r' in British English: Word Frequency, Constructions, and Sociolinguistics. San Antonio, TX, USA: New Ways of Analysing Variation (NWAV 39), 4-6 Nov 2010.
  • Watson K. and Mattock K. (2009) The effect of speakers' geographical mobility on their production and perception of a phonological merger: evidence from NURSE and SQUARE in Liverpool English. Leuven, Belgium: Perception, Production & Attitude, 3-3 Apr 2009.
  • Watson K. and Mattock K. (2009) The effect of speakers' geographical mobility on their production and perception of a phonological merger: Evidence from NURSE and SQUARE in Liverpool English. London, UK: 3rd International Conference on the Linguistics of Contemporary English (ICLCE3), 14-17 Jul 2009.
  • Watson K. and Owen A. (2009) The production and perception of NURSE and SQUARE in Wigan. Newcastle, UK: 7th UK Language Variation and Change Conference (UKLVC7), 1-3 Sep 2009.
  • Watson K. and Whisker K. (2009) Plosive lenition in Liverpool English: Using a phonological corpus to compare the past with the present. Aix-en-Provence, France: PAC Workshop on Models, Variation and Phonological Corpora, 10-11 Sep 2009.
  • Watson K. (2007) Utterance-final debuccalisation in Liverpool English. Lancaster, UK: 6th UK Language Variation and Change conference (UKLVC6), 11-13 Sep 2007.
  • Watson K. and Hollmann W. (2007) Definite article reduction in northern England: on frequency, constructions and sociolinguistics. Milwaukee, WI, USA: 25th UWM Symposium on Formulaic Language, 18-21 Apr 2007.
  • Watson K. and Papen U. (2006) Speech and spelling: facilitation or interference? University of Limerick, Ireland: Sociolinguistic Symposium 16 (SS16), 6-8 Jul 2006.
  • Watson K. (2005) Lenition and structured phonetic variability in Liverpool English. Edinburgh, UK: 1st International Conference on the Linguistics of Contemporary English, 23 Jun 2006.
  • Watson K. (2005) Phonological convergence and divergence in Liverpool English. Aberdeen, UK: UK Language Variation and Change, 12 Sep 2005.
  • Watson K. (2005) Phonological convergence and divergence in the same British city. New York, NY, USA: New Ways of Analysing Variation 34, 20 Oct 2005.
  • Honeybone P. and Watson K. (2002) Liverpool English, visarga in pausa and the phonetics-phonology divide. Toulouse, France: Conference on English Phonology, 27 Jun 2002.
  • Honeybone P. and Watson K. (2002) Visarga in pausa in Liverpool English. Manchester, UK: Manchester Phonology Meeting, 23 May 2002.
Oral Presentations
  • Watson K. (2018) A century of Scouse: accent change in Liverpool and its hinterland. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool UK: Invited lecture, 05 Dec 2018.
  • Watson K. (2018) Are Scousers [nice|friendly|thieves|tough|inbred]? Examining attitudes towards Liverpool English. University of Liverpool, UK: Invited lecture, 16 Oct 2018.
  • Watson K. (2018) Dialectological insights with big data methods. University of Zurich, Switzerland: Invited lecture, 07 Dec 2018.
  • Watson K. (2018) Liverpool English as a case study for understanding the systematicity of linguistic variation. University of Liverpool UK: Invited lecture, 25 Oct 2018.
  • Watson K. (2018) What is OLIVE and what can it do (now)? University of Edinburgh, UK: Invited lecture, 17 Dec 2018.
  • Watson KD. (2017) Exploring Scouse with OLIVE. University of Liverpool, UK: Invited lecture at the University of Liverpool.
  • Watson KD. (2017) Language change and age: north west England and New Zealand.. University of York, UK: Invited talk at the University of York.
  • Watson KD. (2017) Phonological change and corpus sociophonetics: the case of Scouse. University of Salford, UK: Invited talk at the University of Salford.
  • Watson KD. (2015) 100 years of Scouse and its hinterland: the OLIVE corpus. University of Chester, UK: Invited talk, English Department Seminar Series.
  • Watson KD. (2015) A century of Scouse: phonological levelling, diffusion and divergence in Liverpool and its hinterland. University of Edinburgh: Invited talk, Linguistics and English Language Seminar Series.
  • Watson KD. (2015) Examining phonological levelling and geographical diffusion with a century of Scouse. York St John University, York, UK: Invited talk, Department of Languages and Linguistics Seminar Series.
  • Watson K. (2012) False teeth, pollen or depression? Where did the Kiwi accent come from? Christchurch College of English Language, New Zealand.
  • Watson K. (2012) What is the New Zealand accent like, and what do we think about it? St Stephen's Church, Christchurch, New Zealand: University of the Third Age: Connecting Minds, Mouths and Movement.
  • Watson K. (2012) Where does the New Zealand accent come from? And where is it going? Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand: Platform Arts Festival: Talkfest.
  • Clark L. and Watson K. (2011) Sociophonetics meets Scouse: explorations in the production and perception of Liverpool English. University of Northumbria, UK: Linguistics Seminar Series.
  • Clark L. and Watson KD. (2011) Liverpool English and its hinterland. Birmingham City University: Invited talk, Birmingham City School of English Research Seminar Series.
  • Kerswill P., Watson KD. and Clark L. (2011) Salience. University of Bergen: Invited talk at the Language Change in Modern Sociolinguistics symposium.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2011) It's not just levelling: exploring phonological change in north-west England. Wellington, New Zealand: School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies Seminars.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2011) Sociolinguistics, salience and statistics: outlining some new directions in language attitude research. Sheffield Halam University, UK: Invited talk at the Sheffield Halam English Department seminar series.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2010) Exploring t-to-r in Liverpool and Lancashire. University of Manchester, UK: Invited talk at the University of Manchester Linguistics Seminar series.
  • Watson K. and Clark L. (2010) Sociolinguistic and cognitive linguistic perspectives on northern English t-to-r. University of York, UK: Invited talk at the University of York Linguistics seminar series.
  • Watson KD. (2008) Sociophonetics: more than the sum of its parts? University of Salford: Invited plenary lecture at the Northern Englishes Workshop.
  • Watson KD. (2008) What do you mean 'her' doesn't rhyme with 'hair'? Exploring the Scouse of young Scousers. Liverpool University and Liverpool Maritime Museum: Invited plenary lecture at the Celebrating Liverpool conference.
  • Watson K. (2007) Exploring phonological change and language ideologies in England's north-west. University of Salford, UK: Invited talk at the Salford University Linguistics Department seminar series.
  • Watson K. (2007) Phonological variation in the north-west of England: the effects of geographical and social distance. Liverpool Hope University: Invited talk at the Liverpool Hope University English Department seminar series.
  • Watson KD. (2007) Continuing professional development for teachers of A Level English Language.. Kings College, London: Invited talk at the Linguistics Association of Great Britain conference.
  • Watson KD. and Kerswill P. (2007) "The invasion of the biggest pest since the cockroach, yes, the Scouser" Exploring language ideologies and relationships between regions in England's north-west.. Lancaster University, UK: Invited panel session at the Regions and Regionalism within and beyond Europe conference.
  • Watson K. (2006) "Write it how you say it": Examining phonological interference in children's spelling mistakes. University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK: Invited talk at the Linguistics Circle, University of Central Lancashire.
  • Watson K. (2006) Language & gender meets theoretical phonology: bridging the pedagogic gap? Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK: Gender and Language BAAL Special Interest Group on Current Issues in the Teaching of Language, Gender and Sexuality in Further and Higher Education One-day Seminar.
  • Watson KD. (2005) Phonetic variation from the bottom up: evidence from Liverpool English plosives. University of Aberdeen: Invited talk at the Centre for Linguistic Research seminar series.
  • Honeybone P. and Watson K. (2004) The (continuing) development of Scouse: language meets history, society and culture. Liverpool, UK: Inaugural Conference of the Centre for Liverpool and Merseyside Studies.
  • Watson K. (2004) Is Scouse getting scouser? The emergence of new phonological variables in Liverpool English. University of Roehampton, London, UK: Invited talk at the University of Roehampton English Language and Linguistics Research seminars.
Other
  • Gnevsheva K. and Watson K. (2016) Second language accent variation and 'passing' as a native speaker. Babel 15: 40-43. [Magazine].
  • Watson K. (2010) Language change on Merseyside: more or less Scouse? English and Media Centre. [Electronic magazine].
  • Watson KD. (2009) Review of Zurinskas, T. E. 'Analysis of the sounds (phonemes) of USA English - Teuespel Book 1. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 39(1): 101-105. Cambridge University Press (CUP).
  • Honeybone P. and Watson KD. (2007) Phonemes, graphics and phonics for Liverpool English. [Education Committee of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain].
Theses / Dissertations
  • Watson K. (2007) The phonetics and phonology of plosive leniton in Liverpool English. Lancaster, UK. Lancaster University.
Other
  • Watson KD. (2007) Review of Beal. J. (2006) Language and Region. London: Routledge.. LinguistList 18.31476.

Student Supervision

Displaying all items.
    Current
  • PhD - Azhar U: Language maintenance among Punjabi speakers in Christchurch
  • PhD - Fournier M: A sociophonetic investigation of Scottish Parliament during the Scottish Independence Referendum
  • PhD - Kaefer S: A sociolinguistic study of Antarctica
  • PhD - Redondo S: Gamification methodologies in the language classroom
  • PhD - Williams G: Sociolinguistics, safety and Aviation English
  • Completed
  • PhD - Alexander K: Perception of the boundary between singleton and geminate plosives by Greek Cypriots: A sociophonetic perspective (2014)
  • PhD - Ali A: A sociophonetic investigation of Pakistani English (2019)
  • PhD - Dagamseh M: Language Maintenance, Shift and Variation: Evidence from Jordanian and Palestinian Immigrants in Christchurch New Zealand (2019)
  • PhD - Dagamseh M: Language Variation among the Jordanian Arabs of Christchurch (2019)
  • PhD - Ford G: Addressing how people talk about the economy in Environmental policy debates (2018)
  • PhD - Gnevsheva K: Variation in degree of accentedness in second language English speakers (2016)
  • PhD - Gwasmeh M: Accentedness and language attitudes in Jordan (2021)
  • PhD - Haider A: A corpus assisted discourse analysis of the Arab Spring (2016)
  • PhD - Kabir S: Listen up or lose out! Policy and practice of listening skills in English language education in Bangladesh (2020)
  • PhD - Lee T: Social networking and English teaching in Vietnam (2018)
  • PhD - Mattingley W: The phonetics and phonology of loan words in Japanese (2020)
  • PhD - Rashid S: The effect of training in Mobile Assisted Language Learning on attitude, beliefs and practices of tertiary students in Pakistan (2018)
  • PhD - Saberi K: Routine politeness formulae in Persian (2013)
  • PhD - Wang X: New dialect formation in Hohhot, China (2017)
  • PhD - West H: Phonological levelling in Southport and Ormskirk: the role of social identity (2011)
  • Masters - Alrabab'ah S: Sociophonetic factors and Jordanian English (2018)
  • Masters - Alshboul A: Sociophonetic factors and Jordanian English (2018)
  • Masters - Busgeeth V: Scouse in Sefton? A Sociolinguistic Investigation of Regional Variation and Language Attitudes in Southport and Formby (2008)
  • Masters - Davis I: A Rhythmic Analysis of Rap – What can we learn from ‘flow’? (2017)
  • Masters - Hoper R: We’re ‘over the water from them’: Language and identity on the Wirral peninsula (2009)
  • Masters - Peach E: Biculturalism in New Zealand Parliament: A corpus-based approach (2018)
  • Masters - Taylor N: The influence of accent and pitch on credibility (2018)
  • Masters - Watson V: Lexical variation in New Zealand English (2018)
  • Honours - Alderson F: Spreading social stereotypes (2013)
  • Honours - Johnson A: Priming and speech perception in younger populations (2013)
  • Honours - Lee J: Grammaticality judgements of Korean speakers (2013)
  • Honours - Logan Z: Style shifting in NZ: The case of John Key (2016)
  • Honours - Peach E: Systematic bias in the NZ legal system? How can forensic linguistic help? (2016)

Review and Refereeing

Displaying all items.
  • Corpora ( 2006 - 2023)
  • English Language and Linguistics ( 2006 - 2023)
  • Journal of Pragmatics ( 2006 - 2023)
  • Language Variation and Change ( 2006 - 2023)
  • Leeds Working Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics ( 2006 - 2023)
  • Lingua ( 2006 - 2023)
  • Linguistics ( 2006 - 2023)

Affiliations

  • British Association of Academic Phoneticians (BAAP) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • International Association for Forensic Phonetics and Acoustics (IAFPA) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • International Phonetic Association (IPA) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • Linguistics Assocation of Great Britain (LAGB) (Professional Organisation): Member

Key Methodologies

  • acoustic phonetics
  • variationist sociolinguistics
  • corpus linguistics
  • corpus assisted discourse analysis
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