Kevin Watson
Biographic Data
| ID | 81527 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kevin Watson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kevin |
| FAMILY NAME | Watson |
| SIGNATURE | WATSON K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Canterbury |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2341-0921 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 46 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 12 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The effect of speaker ethnicity in accentedness perception by Asian listeners
Mitigating and minimising at-home illness-related stress of well-siblings through school support
Living with a chronic health condition in the home can have a debilitating effect on the psychosocial and psychoaffective wellbeing of the entire family. This is particularly the case for healthy school aged siblings. This research investigated the perceptions and experiences of at-school support for well-siblings to evaluate its effectiveness in mitigating and minimising the at-home illness-related stress effect. Seven siblings (both primary and…
Gender separation and the speech community
The existence of a shared constraint hierarchy is one of the criteria that defines and delimits speech communities. In particular, women and men are thought to differ only in their rates of variable usage, not in the constraints governing their variation; that is, women and men are typically considered to belong to the same speech community. We find that in early twentieth century Southland, New Zealand, women and men had different constraint hie…
Systematic co-variation of monophthongs across speakers of New Zealand English
The study of phonetic variation and change has tended to concentrate on particular variables in isolation, and it has proven challenging to move beyond an analysis of individual variables or small groups of variables, towards a better theoretical and empirical understanding of entire vowel systems. We develop a methodology that facilitates the study of co-variation, and introduce a large scale analysis of how elements of full sound systems co-var…
The articulation of /ɹ/ in New Zealand English
This paper investigates the articulation of approximant /ɹ/ in New Zealand English (NZE), and tests whether the patterns documented for rhotic varieties of English hold in a non-rhotic dialect. Midsagittal ultrasound data for 62 speakers producing 13 tokens of /ɹ/ in various phonetic environments were categorized according to the taxonomy by Delattre & Freeman (1968), and semi-automatically traced and quantified using the AAA software (Articulate…
Phonological leveling, diffusion, and divergence
This paper examines the phonological leveling and diffusion of variants of /t/ in Liverpool, northwest England, and two localities in its hinterland. We show that lenited realizations of /t/, thought to be historically restricted to Liverpool, are increasing over time and spreading over geographical space. We explore Labov's (2007) claims that linguistic changes that progress via transmission, within a speech community, are reproduced in all thei…
Perceptual dialectology in northern England
Work in perceptual dialectology has argued that listeners' successful identification of accent areas is facilitated by their geographical proximity to a particular region. Montgomery (, ) argues that this proximity effect is mediated by a 'cultural prominence' effect, where localities of high cultural salience seem less distant. We explore these claims using an online survey in which listeners were asked to identify the regional origin of speaker…
Exploring listeners’ real-time reactions to regional accents
Evaluative reactions to language stimuli are presumably dynamic events, constantly changing through time as the signal unfolds, yet the tools we usually use to capture these reactions provide us with only a snapshot of this process by recording reactions at a single point in time. This paper outlines and evaluates a new methodology which employs audience response data collection techniques to capture listeners’ real-time reactions to variation in…
Salience and the sociolinguistics of Scouse spelling
In this article we investigate a phenomenon in which non-standard spelling is normal in professionally produced, published English. Specifically, we discuss the literary genre of Contemporary Humorous Localised Dialect Literature (CHLDL), in which semi-phonological spellings are used to represent aspects of non-standard varieties. Our aims are twofold: 1) we provide, by example, a framework for the quantitative analysis of such types of dialect o…
Liverpool English
Liverpool English (LE) is the variety of English spoken in Liverpool and much of the surrounding county of Merseyside, in the north-west of England. After London, the north-west of England is the most densely populated of all regions in England and Wales, with the population of Liverpool standing at around 450,000. LE itself is said to have developed in the middle of the 19th century, after rapid immigration from Ireland during the Irish potato f…
Phonological resistance and innovation in the North-West of England
Over the past few decades, studies of dialect levelling have concluded that phonological convergence amongst varieties of British English is rife. This review attempts to demonstrate the opposite, in the variety of English spoken in Liverpool. Despite various media reports predicting the death of Liverpool English, evidence is provided here that the variety appears to be resisting the innovation of ‘T-glottalling’, a feature which is frequent els…
National identity and primitive methodism in the United States
The Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America was, throughout the nineteenth century, a denomination that was transatlantic in character. It attempted to act both as a home away from home for newly arriving English industrial immigrants and as a tool of their Americanization. In the former role, the denomination enjoyed considerable success, benefiting from continuous English immigration throughout the period. However, Primitive …
Liverpool English
Liverpool English (LE) is the variety of English spoken in Liverpool and much of the surrounding county of Merseyside, in the north-west of England. After London, the north-west of England is the most densely populated of all regions in England and Wales, with the population of Liverpool standing at around 450,000. LE itself is said to have developed in the middle of the 19th century, after rapid immigration from Ireland during the Irish potato f…
Systematic co-variation of monophthongs across speakers of New Zealand English
The study of phonetic variation and change has tended to concentrate on particular variables in isolation, and it has proven challenging to move beyond an analysis of individual variables or small groups of variables, towards a better theoretical and empirical understanding of entire vowel systems. We develop a methodology that facilitates the study of co-variation, and introduce a large scale analysis of how elements of full sound systems co-var…
Perceptual dialectology in northern England
Work in perceptual dialectology has argued that listeners' successful identification of accent areas is facilitated by their geographical proximity to a particular region. Montgomery (, ) argues that this proximity effect is mediated by a 'cultural prominence' effect, where localities of high cultural salience seem less distant. We explore these claims using an online survey in which listeners were asked to identify the regional origin of speaker…
Phonological leveling, diffusion, and divergence
This paper examines the phonological leveling and diffusion of variants of /t/ in Liverpool, northwest England, and two localities in its hinterland. We show that lenited realizations of /t/, thought to be historically restricted to Liverpool, are increasing over time and spreading over geographical space. We explore Labov's (2007) claims that linguistic changes that progress via transmission, within a speech community, are reproduced in all thei…
The articulation of /ɹ/ in New Zealand English
This paper investigates the articulation of approximant /ɹ/ in New Zealand English (NZE), and tests whether the patterns documented for rhotic varieties of English hold in a non-rhotic dialect. Midsagittal ultrasound data for 62 speakers producing 13 tokens of /ɹ/ in various phonetic environments were categorized according to the taxonomy by Delattre & Freeman (1968), and semi-automatically traced and quantified using the AAA software (Articulate…
Salience and the sociolinguistics of Scouse spelling
In this article we investigate a phenomenon in which non-standard spelling is normal in professionally produced, published English. Specifically, we discuss the literary genre of Contemporary Humorous Localised Dialect Literature (CHLDL), in which semi-phonological spellings are used to represent aspects of non-standard varieties. Our aims are twofold: 1) we provide, by example, a framework for the quantitative analysis of such types of dialect o…
Gender separation and the speech community
The existence of a shared constraint hierarchy is one of the criteria that defines and delimits speech communities. In particular, women and men are thought to differ only in their rates of variable usage, not in the constraints governing their variation; that is, women and men are typically considered to belong to the same speech community. We find that in early twentieth century Southland, New Zealand, women and men had different constraint hie…
National identity and primitive methodism in the United States
The Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America was, throughout the nineteenth century, a denomination that was transatlantic in character. It attempted to act both as a home away from home for newly arriving English industrial immigrants and as a tool of their Americanization. In the former role, the denomination enjoyed considerable success, benefiting from continuous English immigration throughout the period. However, Primitive …
Phonological resistance and innovation in the North-West of England
Over the past few decades, studies of dialect levelling have concluded that phonological convergence amongst varieties of British English is rife. This review attempts to demonstrate the opposite, in the variety of English spoken in Liverpool. Despite various media reports predicting the death of Liverpool English, evidence is provided here that the variety appears to be resisting the innovation of ‘T-glottalling’, a feature which is frequent els…
Liverpool English
Liverpool English (LE) is the variety of English spoken in Liverpool and much of the surrounding county of Merseyside, in the north-west of England. After London, the north-west of England is the most densely populated of all regions in England and Wales, with the population of Liverpool standing at around 450,000. LE itself is said to have developed in the middle of the 19th century, after rapid immigration from Ireland during the Irish potato f…
Salience and the sociolinguistics of Scouse spelling
In this article we investigate a phenomenon in which non-standard spelling is normal in professionally produced, published English. Specifically, we discuss the literary genre of Contemporary Humorous Localised Dialect Literature (CHLDL), in which semi-phonological spellings are used to represent aspects of non-standard varieties. Our aims are twofold: 1) we provide, by example, a framework for the quantitative analysis of such types of dialect o…
Exploring listeners’ real-time reactions to regional accents
Evaluative reactions to language stimuli are presumably dynamic events, constantly changing through time as the signal unfolds, yet the tools we usually use to capture these reactions provide us with only a snapshot of this process by recording reactions at a single point in time. This paper outlines and evaluates a new methodology which employs audience response data collection techniques to capture listeners’ real-time reactions to variation in…
Phonological leveling, diffusion, and divergence
This paper examines the phonological leveling and diffusion of variants of /t/ in Liverpool, northwest England, and two localities in its hinterland. We show that lenited realizations of /t/, thought to be historically restricted to Liverpool, are increasing over time and spreading over geographical space. We explore Labov's (2007) claims that linguistic changes that progress via transmission, within a speech community, are reproduced in all thei…
Perceptual dialectology in northern England
Work in perceptual dialectology has argued that listeners' successful identification of accent areas is facilitated by their geographical proximity to a particular region. Montgomery (, ) argues that this proximity effect is mediated by a 'cultural prominence' effect, where localities of high cultural salience seem less distant. We explore these claims using an online survey in which listeners were asked to identify the regional origin of speaker…
The articulation of /ɹ/ in New Zealand English
This paper investigates the articulation of approximant /ɹ/ in New Zealand English (NZE), and tests whether the patterns documented for rhotic varieties of English hold in a non-rhotic dialect. Midsagittal ultrasound data for 62 speakers producing 13 tokens of /ɹ/ in various phonetic environments were categorized according to the taxonomy by Delattre & Freeman (1968), and semi-automatically traced and quantified using the AAA software (Articulate…
Gender separation and the speech community
The existence of a shared constraint hierarchy is one of the criteria that defines and delimits speech communities. In particular, women and men are thought to differ only in their rates of variable usage, not in the constraints governing their variation; that is, women and men are typically considered to belong to the same speech community. We find that in early twentieth century Southland, New Zealand, women and men had different constraint hie…
Systematic co-variation of monophthongs across speakers of New Zealand English
The study of phonetic variation and change has tended to concentrate on particular variables in isolation, and it has proven challenging to move beyond an analysis of individual variables or small groups of variables, towards a better theoretical and empirical understanding of entire vowel systems. We develop a methodology that facilitates the study of co-variation, and introduce a large scale analysis of how elements of full sound systems co-var…
Mitigating and minimising at-home illness-related stress of well-siblings through school support
Living with a chronic health condition in the home can have a debilitating effect on the psychosocial and psychoaffective wellbeing of the entire family. This is particularly the case for healthy school aged siblings. This research investigated the perceptions and experiences of at-school support for well-siblings to evaluate its effectiveness in mitigating and minimising the at-home illness-related stress effect. Seven siblings (both primary and…
The effect of speaker ethnicity in accentedness perception by Asian listeners
Linguistic Variation and Morphology (10 works) · Linguistics (8 works) · Phonetics and Phonology Research (8 works) · History (7 works) · Computer Science (6 works) · Multilingual Education and Policy (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · History (5 works) · Artificial Intelligence (4 works)