Pamela Forster

PhD student

Research Interests

My research explores the impact of very large social changes on local dialect and speech. In partnership with Lancashire Archives, I will draw upon archival and contemporary recordings from speakers born over a time-span of 120 years to explore the linguistic heritage of the Lancaster and Morecambe region of north-west England.

Although these two towns are geographically close and are of a similar size, different economic opportunities have led to different patterns of migration and population wealth. By drawing upon the recordings above, I aim to examine the impact of these socioeconomic factors on the speech and dialect of ordinary working people.

This project is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP).