Research Interests

Diane is currently working on two main areas of research. The first is the study of English dialect in the East Midlands, and the second is the stylistic investigation of audio feedback by tutors (see Research Projects).

Research Projects

Village Voices: Investigating heritage through accent and dialect

Diane is working on a collaborative project with the East Midlands Oral History Archive and Leicestershire County Council's 'Heritage Warden' scheme, to investigate dialect across different generations in village communities in the county. She is currently using oral history to explore language change and variation in the East Midlands, looking in particular at the area of rural south Leicestershire. See 'Research Grants' below.

AUDIBLE

Diane is working with colleague Dr Pamela Rogerson-Revell, to explore speech styles in the use of audio feedback by tutors. We are analysing the speech styles to be found in this mode of feedback and evaluating how they may impact on the student learning experience. This is part of a wider, university-funded project on audio feedback.

Research Grants

Diane has been awarded a British Academy Small Research Grant (2011) to investigate dialect through oral history. This is a collaborative project which she is undertaking with Dr Natalie Braber of Nottingham Trent University. The focus of the research is variation and change in the English dialect of the East Midlands.

Topics for Doctoral Supervision

Diane welcomes doctoral students within research interests in the following areas:

• dialects of English
• sociolinguistics
• literary reading/literature in TESOL