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 Lancaster in north-west England.

Changing economic opportunities have led to different patterns of migration and population wealth in the city. My research will draw upon local history archives to examine the impact of macro social changes on local dialect in a confined geographical space over a long time-span. Through this project, I will promote and curate the rich intangible heritage of this understudied region of north Lancashire as well as tracking language change over time. This part-time collaborative doctoral award is being carried out in partnership with Lancashire Archives.

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