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Jonathan Morris  BA, MA, PhD, FHEA

Dr Jonathan Morris

(he/him)

BA, MA, PhD, FHEA

Director of Research

School of Welsh

Email
MorrisJ17@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 75394
Campuses
John Percival Building, Room 1.74, Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
cymraeg
Welsh speaking
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a Senior Lecturer at the School of Welsh and specialise in the Welsh language and linguistics.

My research focuses on sociolinguistic aspects of bilingualism and second language acquisition. This means that I am interested in how languages are used and how social factors influence languages in bilingual and second-language contexts. These social factors might influence how bilinguals produce their languages or how they use and feel about them.

I am currently the Academic Partner on the University's Ignite Project with responsibility for developing the programme for Early Career Researchers. Ignite is developing a range of leadership development activities, intended to stimulate broader organisational change in research culture. This project is funded by The Wellcome Trust.

Research interests

  • Sociolinguistics
  • Language Variation and Change
  • Sociology of Language
  • Bilingualism
  • Second Language Acquisition
  • Phonetics and Phonology

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2010

  • Morris, J. 2010. Phonetic variation in Northern Wales: preaspiration. Presented at: Second Summer School of Sociolinguistics, Edinburgh, Scotland, 14-20 June 2010 Presented at Meyerhoff, M. et al. eds.Proceedings of the Second Summer School of Sociolinguistics, The University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh pp. 1-16.

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Monographs

Thesis

Websites

Research

Research Themes

Language Variation and Change in bilinguals' speech

My research focuses primarily on language variation and change in the speech of Welsh-English bilinguals. A number of societal developments in the twentieth century have changed the demographics of Welsh speakers. Firstly, inward migration and language shift have resulted in a decline in the number of speakers who acquire Welsh in the home, particularly in traditionally Welsh-speaking areas. Secondly, the establishment of Welsh-medium education has meant an increase in ‘new speakers’ of Welsh across Wales. The aim of my research has been to examine the extent to which linguistic and extra-linguistic factors (such as sex, proportion of Welsh speakers in the community, and home language) influence phonetic and phonological variation in both English and Welsh. The work therefore takes a sociolinguistic approach to bilingualism and second language acquisition and compares how speakers produce their two languages. More recently, I have been looking at how speakers evaluate Welsh accents (with Robert Mayr and Ianto Gruffydd), the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence among young people in Welsh-medium education (with Mercedes Durham and Katharine Young), and stylistic variation in the bilingual repertoire.

The sociology of bilingualism

I am also interested in the sociology of language. I have published on attitudes towards Welsh and use of the language amongst young people in two towns in North Wales and I was part of a Welsh Government-funded research project on the transmission of Welsh. Another focus of this research strand is how identities intersect. For example, I have been working on a project which examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ speakers of Welsh and the way in which their identities influence each other (with Sam Parker).

The acquisition of Welsh as a second language

I published an article on Welsh for Adults tutors' attitudes towards learners' speech (with Iwan Wyn Rees) and have also examined speech production in adult learners. More broadly, I am interested in the influence of social and psychological factors on second language acquisition among children and adult learners of Welsh.

Resources and digital infrastructure

I have worked on a number of projects which have created Welsh-language resources and contribute towards digital infrastructure in the language. I have also led on projects to create Welsh reading and spelling tests as well as a digital thesaurus.

Current Projects

Teaching

Teaching at Cardiff University

I teach (or have taught) modules on the Welsh language and linguistics. These include:

  • Sgiliau Llafar yn y Gymraeg (Oral Skills in Welsh)
  • Defnyddio'r Gymraeg (Using the Welsh Language)
  • Cyflwyniad i'r Gymraeg (Introduction to the Welsh Language)
  • Diwylliant y Gymraeg (Culture of the Welsh Language)
  • Yr Ystafell Ddosbarth (The Classroom)

I have been module leader on the following modules:

  • Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru Gyfoes (The Welsh Language in Contemporary Wales)
  • Cymraeg y Gweithle a'r Gymuned (Welsh in the Workplace and Community)
  • Yr Iaith Ar Waith (The Language at Work)
  • Sosioieithyddiaeth (Sociolinguistics)
  • Caffael Iaith (Language Acquisition)
  • Blas ar Ymchwil (BA Research Project)
  • Ymchwilio Estynedig (BA Dissertation)

I also teach on the MA in Welsh and Celtic Studies and deliver training to PhD students on data analysis in linguistics.

Previous Teaching in English Language and Linguistics

I have taught on the following modules in English language and linguistics:

  • Introduction to Phonology
  • Discourse Analysis
  • Societal Multilingualism
  • English Dialects

Previous Teaching of Welsh for Adult Learners

I have taught on the following courses for adults who are learning Welsh:

  • National Sabbatical Scheme for Welsh Language Training
  • Welsh in the Workplace (Further Education)
  • GCSE Welsh Second Language (Further Education)
  • Welsh for Adults

Biography

I completed a BA in French and German Studies, MA in Languages and Linguistics, and PhD in Linguistics from the University of Manchester. During my undergraduate degree, I spent time at the University of Bourgogne (Dijon, France) and Basel University (Switzerland). My early work focussed on the relationship between language and identity in the German-speaking countries.

I began work on Welsh sociolinguistics and phonetics (sociophonetics) during my Master’s degree and my PhD examines the influence of linguistic and social factors in the speech of Welsh-English bilinguals.

I joined the School of Welsh as a research assistant in 2012. Before moving to Cardiff, I worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Manchester and as a lecturer in Welsh at Coleg Cambria, Wrexham. I have also worked as a research assistant on projects funded by the ESRC and British Academy.

Between September 2014 and August 2019, I was the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Lecturer in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at the School of Welsh. Since then, I have been Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and Welsh Language.

Honours and awards

  • Shortlisted for the ‘Innovating Across Borders’ category, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Associate Lecturers Awards, 2019.
  • Shortlisted for Most Innovative Member of Staff Award, Cardiff University, 2016.

Professional memberships

  • British Association of Applied Linguists
  • British Association of Academic Phoneticians
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Departmental & University Service

  • Director of Research, School of Welsh (2022+)
  • Academic Partner, Ignite Project (2024-2026)
  • Co-Organiser of the Multilingualism Research Network (2019-2023)
  • Director of Postgraduate Research (2017-2022)
  • Chair, Cardiff University Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Branch (2018-2020)
  • Ethics Officer, School of Welsh (2014-2017)
  • Co-Organiser of the Sociolinguistics Reading Group (2013-2019)

Supervisions

I am eager to hear from postgraduate research students who are interested in the following areas:

  • Sociolinguistics
  • Language Variation and Change
  • Sociology of Language
  • Bilingualism
  • Second Language Acquisition
  • Phonetics and phonology

Current supervision

Katharine Young

Katharine Young

Research student

Mohammed Bashiri

Mohammed Bashiri

Research student

Nia Eyre

Nia Eyre

Research student

Khadejah Alamri

Khadejah Alamri

Research student

Past projects

Array