Kevin Watson

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.