Kate Whisker-Taylor

Dr. Kate Whisker-Taylor is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead for Undergraduate Linguistics and TESOL at York St John University, affiliated with the School of Education, Language and Psychology. She holds a BA from Leeds, MA from York, PhD from Lancaster, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice from York St John, with Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) status. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, particularly language variation and change in Yorkshire dialects. She has conducted studies on geographical diffusion of accent features in Hull, dialect comparison in Brayton and urban centers, and century-scale changes in Huddersfield's language variety, emphasizing external factors like dialect contact and internal phonological dynamics.

Teaching responsibilities include the BA English Language and Linguistics programme. She is a member of the LIdIA research unit at York St John. Key research outputs include presentations on phonological variation in Liverpool, TH-fronting in Hull, and secondary contraction patterns in Yorkshire, along with a book review on language contact phenomena. Her work bridges historical and contemporary sociolinguistic methodologies.