Professor Rob Drummond
Professor of Sociolinguistics, Research Environment Lead for English and Linguistics
My profile
Biography
I am Professor of Sociolinguistics, Research Environment Lead for English and Linguistics, and a founding member of 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:
- The accents, dialects and identities of people in Greater Manchester - www.manchestervoices.org
- Urban youth language - www.urben-id.org
- Accent/language prejudice - www.accentism.org
Academic and professional qualifications
- PhD in Lingusitics (2010). University of Manchester.
- MA in Applied Linguistics (2003). University of Manchester.
- Trinity DipTESOL (2001). City College Manchester.
- Trinity CertTESOL (1997). Universal Language Training.
- BA Hons American Studies and English (1995). University of Central Lancashire.
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Other academic service (administration and management)
- Research Environment Lead, English and Linguistics
Previous roles
- Head of the Research Centre for Creative Writing, English Literature and Linguistics (CELL)
- RKE Lead for the Department of Languages, Information and Communication.
- Part of the Leadership Team of the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS)
- Associate Head of the Centre for Research in English, Language and Linguistics (CELL)
- Research Degrees Coordinator for Languages, Linguistics and TESOL
- Programme Leader, MA Applied Linguistics
External examiner roles
I was external examiner at Sheffield Hallam University from 2017-2021
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
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.
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
I am a reviewer for AHRC and ESRC funding bodies, and have been a member of the AHRC peer review college since 2015.
Personal website address
Teaching
Postgraduate teaching
- Sociolinguistics
- Sound, Structure and Meaning
Undergraduate teaching
- Variationist sociolinguistics
Supervision
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:
- Language variation and change (particularly phonetic and phonological variation)
- Greater Manchester Accents and dialects
- Youth language
- Dialect acquisition
- Sociolinguistic variation in a second language
- Language and identity
- The acquisition of linguistic variation
- Sociolinguistics and language teaching
- Multicultural British English
I am currently Principal Supervisor for the following students:
- Chahla Lamri
- Kate Westwood
I was Principal Supervisor for these students who have now completed their PhDs:
- Amal Alhamazany (2022)
- Hind Alraddadi (2021)
- Andy Coates (2020)
- Warda Rashed (2018)
- Hanan Ben Nafa (2018)
Research outputs
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
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Exhibitions
Drummond, R., Dann, H., Ryan, S., Tasker, S. (2022) Manchester Voices 2022. [Exhibition] Manchester Central Library, 15/11/2022 -
Carrie, E., Drummond, R. (2017) Manchester Voices. [Exhibition] Manchester Central Library, 22/6/2017 - 31/8/2017.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Drummond, R. (2018) Researching urban youth language and identity.
Clayton, D., Drummond, R. (2018) Language Diversity and World Englishes. Cambridge University Press.
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Chapters in books
Drummond, R. (2021) 'ACCENT AND IDENTITY IN AMBRIDGE: THE LINK BETWEEN HOW WE SPEAK AND WHO WE ARE.' Flapjacks and Feudalism: Social Mobility and Class in The Archers. pp. 149-166.
Dray, S., Drummond, R. (2019) 'Mixing methods? Linguistic ethnography and language variation.' The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Ethnography. pp. 241-255.
Drummond, R.J. (2018) 'The changing language of urban youth: A pilot study.' Sociolinguistics in England. Springer,
Drummond, R. (2018) 'Urban youth language.' Language Handbook (2nd edition). Key Thinkers on Key Topics. English and Media Centre,
Drummond, R.J., Schleef, E. (2016) 'Identity and Variationist Sociolinguistics.' The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity. Routledge,
Drummond, R.J. (2015) 'Non-native northern English.' Researching Northern English. John Benjamins,
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Journal articles
Dann, H., Drummond, R., Tasker, S., Montgomery, C., Ryan, S., Carrie, E. (2024) 'Broad, strong, and soft: using geospatial analysis to understand folk-linguistic terminology.' Journal of Linguistic Geography,
Drummond, R., Dann, H., Tasker, S., Ryan, S. (2022) 'The Manchester Voices Accent Van: taking sociolinguistic data collection on the road.' Linguistics Vanguard, 8(1) pp. 263-277.
Dann, H., Durkaczs Ryan, S., Drummond, R. (2022) 'Social meaning in archival interaction: a mixed-methods analysis of variation in rhoticity and past tense BE in Oldham.' English Language and Linguistics, 26(4) pp. 861-887.
Ryan, S., Dann, H., Drummond, R. (2022) '“Really this girl ought to be going to something better”: rhoticity and social meaning in oral history data.' Language in Society, 52(3) pp. 459-483.
Drummond, R. (2020) 'Teenage swearing in the UK.' English World-Wide, 40(1)
Drummond, R. (2018) 'Maybe it's a grime [t]ing: th-stopping among urban British youth.' Language in Society, 47(2) pp. 171-196.
Drummond, R. (2016) '(Mis)interpreting urban youth language: white kids sounding black?.' Journal of Youth Studies, 20(5) pp. 640-660.
Drummond, R. (2014) 'The role of orthography in (apparent) L2 dialect acquisition.' English world-wide, 35(3)
Drummond, R. (2013) 'The Manchester Polish STRUT: dialect acquisition in a second language.' Journal of English linguistics, 41(1) pp. 65-93.
Drummond, R. (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.
Drummond, R. (2011) 'Glottal variation in /t/ in non-native English speech: patterns of acquisition.' English World-Wide, 32(3) pp. 280-308..
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Theses and dissertations
Drummond, R.J. (2010) Sociolinguistic variation in a second language: the influence of local accent on the pronunciation of non-native English speakers living in Manchester.
Press and media
Media appearances or involvement
Regular appearances as a Language Expert on TV and Radio. For full details see https://www.robdrummond.co.uk/media/. Recent appearances include:
- Word of Mouth BBC Radio 4
- Free Thinking BBC Radio 3
- The Verb BBC Radio 3
- BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio New Zealand, ABC Radio Australia, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Ulster Radio
- Good Morning Britain, ITV
- BBC Breakfast, BBC TV