Dr Laetitia Calabrese, PhD in Linguistics (English Phonetics)

Profile

Background

I am a graduate of the University of Provence, Aix-Marseille, France. I have a Licence (BA equivalent) in English Language, Literature & Civilisation (LLCE Anglais) and a Maîtrise (MA equivalent) in English LLCE (specialized in English Phonetics). I also have a DEA in "Sciences du Langage" (MPhil equivalent) with the same specialization field. I completed, in December 2011, a PhD (University of Provence, France) in Linguistics, more precisely in English Phonetics which aims to analyse the prosodic characteristics (intonation, rhythm, final lengthening) specific to the English spoken in Wales and see if there is an imprint of the Welsh language on the English spoken in this country.

I have developed my academic career at:

• the University of Provence - Aix-Marseille Université (as an ATER, a Temporary Language Teaching & Research Assistant in English Phonetics from 2004-2007)

• Queen Mary University of London (first as a Lectrice in 2007-2008, then from Sept 2008 to December 2010 as a French Language Teaching Assistant and since January 2011 as a French Language Instructor + interim French Language Studies Co-ordinator from June 2012-March 2013)

• City University (as a French Language Tutor from April 2008 to July 2011) • Birkbeck College (as a Visiting Lecturer from Sept 2008 to June 2011).

Research

Publications

Articles

• (2006). Caractéristiques prosodiques de l'anglais gallois. 13ème Colloque de l'ALOES, Villetaneuse, France, April 2006.
• (2004). (with Marion Coadou). Aspects of the rhythm and intonation of Welsh English. Tribune des Langues Vivantes 36: 139-147.

Conference/seminar presentations

• Final lengthening in the English spoken in Wales, « PAC Workshop: Models, Variation and Phonological corpora», Aix-en-Provence, France, 10-11 September 2009.
• Représentation et perception de l'anglais gallois : entre tradition galloise et inflexion anglaise, « Pays de Galles: Quelle(s) image(s)? », Brest, France, January 2007.
• L'anglais gallois : un parler étrange ? Congrès de la SAES « Atelier des études écossaises et des études galloises », Nantes, France, May 2006.
• Caractéristiques Prosodiques de l'anglais gallois, 13ème Colloque de Villetaneuse sur l'Anglais Oral : Stress and Rhythm Revisited, ALOES, Villetaneuse, France, April 2006.
• L'intonation de l'anglais parlée au Pays de Galles, Congrès de la SAES « Atelier des études écossaises et des études galloises », Toulouse, France, 13-15 May 2005.
• Speech Pattern Characteristics of Welsh English, « English Workshop Phonology », Montpellier, France, 15-16 April 2005.
• Speech Pattern Characteristics of Welsh English, « Les études Galloises en France », Bordeaux, France, 19 November 2004.

Research

Title: Prosodic characteristics specific to the English spoken in Wales : the influence of the Welsh language.

This thesis has three main objectives. First of all, to contribute to the study of the rhythmical system of languages and dialectal varieties through the analysis of rhythms in Welsh English and Welsh, using Standard English as a focal comparative element; then, to demonstrate that the final lengthening is much more notable in Welsh and  in Welsh English (bilinguals and monolinguals) than in standard English; finally, to prove that this study's results are tightly intertwined with the influence of the Welsh language, which is greater than that other English accents present in this country. For that purpose, we have first widened the Eurom 1 database and then carried out various perception tests and statistical analysis. The results show that the Welsh language is the substratum of the English spoken in Wales, as much for bilinguals as for monolinguals (residents of the country speaking only English). Indeed, the length of the final unstressed syllable decreases from Welsh to Standard English. However, as it is impossible to classify with precision the rhythm of Welsh and Welsh English taking into account all the metrics, it is more difficult to establish with certainty whether the Welsh language has a major influence on the latter.

French Social Events

I have been organising Christmas drinks parties and the end of year show (which is a nice way to end up the academic year all together!) for the past 5 years. These social events help build a stronger departmental identity.

Courses taught in 2015-2016  

• French I - Reading and Writing
• French I - Speaking
• French II - Advanced Grammar
• French II - Advanced Listening
• French III - Advanced Argumentative Skills
• French III - Translation into French (sem 2)
• French AOC - Advanced Oral Competence in French
• French for Law Undergraduates I
• French for Law Undergraduates II