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I am a Reader in Sociolinguistics, Interim Head of the the Research Centre for Creative Writing, English Literature and Linguistics (CELL), and head of youth language in the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies. I am particularly interested in the ways in which spoken language varies between individuals and groups of speakers, and the role that language variation plays in the construction and performance of identity. This involves the study of accents and dialects, and the ability to measure fine phonetic differences in people's speech.
Having spent a number of years looking at the patterns of such sociolinguistic variation in a second language, I currently focus on three areas of research:
University of Manchester
Previous roles
Linguistics
Linguistics
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:
I am currently Principal Supervisor for the following students:
I was Principal Supervisor for these students who have now completed their PhDs:
I was external examiner at Sheffield Hallam University from 2017-2021
Language variation and change (particularly at the level of phonetics and phonology); sociophonetics; urban youth language; English accents and dialects; dialect acquisition; dialect perception; language and identity; the teaching of pronunciation; vowel/colour perception.
For a complete list of publications (including those under review), pdf copies of selected items, and a full list of conference papers, please visit www.robdrummond.co.uk
I am involved in three current research projects:
Manchester Voices - Exploring the language, identities and people of Greater Manchester
UrBEn-ID - Exploring the language and identities of urban youth.
The Accentism Project - Exploring linguistic prejudice
R. Drummond (2018). Researching Urban Youth Language and Identity. Springer.
D. Clayton, R. Drummond (2018). Language Diversity and World Englishes. Cambridge University Press.
R. Drummond (2012). Aspects of identity in a second language: ING variation in the speech of Polish migrants living in Manchester, UK. Language Variation and Change. 24(1), pp.107-133.
R. Drummond (2021). Accent and Identity in Ambridge: The Link between How We Speak and Who We Are. In: Flapjacks and Feudalism. Emerald Publishing Limited, pp.149-166.
S. Dray, R. Drummond (2019). Mixing methods? Linguistic ethnography and language variation. In: The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Ethnography. Routledge, pp.241-255.
R. Drummond (2018). Urban youth language. In: Language Handbook (2nd edition). Key Thinkers on Key Topics. English and Media Centre,
R. Drummond (2018). The Changing Language of Urban Youth: A Pilot Study. In: Sociolinguistics in England. Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp.67-96.
R. Drummond, E. Schleef (2016). The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity. S. Preece. In: The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity. Routledge, pp.50-65.
RJ. Drummond (2015). Researching Northern English. R. Hickey. In: Researching Northern English. John Benjamins Publishing Company,
I have acted as a peer reviewer for various journals including Language Variation and Change, Journal of Applied Linguistics, Journal of Phonetics, and Journal of Youth Studies.
Manchester Vouces
In 2019 we were awarded a research grant from the AHRC (£700,000) to continue our work looking at the accents, dialects, and identities of people within Greater Manchester.
There are more details about the project in this news story and on the project website.
Expressing inner city youth identity through Multicultural Urban British English
In 2014 I was awarded a research project grant by the Leverhulme Trust (£107,000) to continue my work looking into the use of what is known as ‘Multicultural Urban British English’ among young people in Manchester. The project involved the appointment of a two year full-time post doctoral research associate, Dr Susan Dray, who joined me in collecting ethnographic and speech data from Pupil Referral Units and a mainstream school in Manchester. It is hoped that the findings will raise awareness of the changing nature of young urban speech, highlighting the fact that many of its salient features are predictable results of the context in which it is used and acquired. In addition, the project will explore the ways in which particular linguistic features are used in the construction and negotiation of identity among young people, while at the same time looking at the extent to which speakers are able to code-switch between language varieties.
For more details about the project see: www.urben-id.org
Manchester Voices. Manchester Central Library, June - August 2017.
Regular appearances as a Language Expert on TV and Radio. Recent appearances include:
I have written for The Conversation on various language-related topics such as language pedantry (which also appeared in The Independent), the banning of slang in schools, grime and youth language, the accent and subsequent discrimination of Angela Rayner MP, the reason why people sing in an American accent (with Erin Carrie), the rights and wrongs of correcting rogue apostrophes, and accent and identity in The Archers.
I give public talks on language and identity. In June 2019 I was invited to give the Annual Linguistics Lecture at Northumbria University. In July 2019 I gave a talk at the English Grammar Day event at the British Library.
I am a reviewer for AHRC and ESRC funding bodies, and have been a member of the AHRC peer review college since 2015.