Research Overview

My PhD research investigates the language and identity of the North Korean refugee community in New Malden, Europe's biggest Koreatown. This research aims to document New Malden North Koreans’ speech, investigate their accent, uncover what features distinguish North and South Korean speakers, and how North Koreans negotiate their identity through accent. By combining variationist approaches and linguistic ethnography, this research aims to better understand not only how they use different variables when they interact with the people within and outside their community but also the social, linguistic factors that influence their speech.