Staff Profile
Dr Nicole Whitworth
Lecturer in Linguistics and TESOL
I am a speech scientist specialising in phonetics, speech acquisition, and applied speech technology, with a particular interest in how data‑driven approaches can deepen our understanding of human communication. My academic background spans over two decades of teaching and research in phonetics, multilingual speech development, and applied linguistics. I hold a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Leeds and an MSc in Data Science (Distinction) from Leeds Beckett University.
I work across disciplinary boundaries, collaborating with colleagues in speech and language therapy, computing, psychology, education, and applied linguistics. I have experience in strategy development and academic leadership, and have worked with external stakeholders including the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the British Council, and Ofsted.
My teaching is grounded in making complex scientific concepts accessible without oversimplifying them. I have consistently achieved >90% student satisfaction, and have led curriculum development at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including MA TESOL.
My research focuses on speech acquisition, vowel production, multilingual speech development, and the pedagogy of phonetics and clinical linguistics. I am also developing work in computational approaches to speech, including a prototype Python application for acoustic vowel analysis in clinical contexts. I have contributed to UK and EU‑funded projects and continue to publish in areas that bridge phonetics, speech acquisition, and applied speech science.
I supervise postgraduate researchers and welcome enquiries from students interested in phonetics, speech acquisition, multilingualism, and applied speech technology.
- School – School of Education, Language and Psychology
- Email – n.whitworth@yorksj.ac.uk
- Phone – 01904876396
- Research - View my work in RaY
Further information
Teaching
As a Lecturer in Linguistics and TESOL, I teach across:
- Introductory linguistics
- Multilingualism
- TESOL
- Text analysis
- Grammar
I also contribute to modules in phonetics, speech acquisition, and research methods, drawing on my background in speech sciences and data‑driven approaches to language.
Research
My research centres on speech acquisition and speech production, with a particular focus on vowels. I am interested in how speech develops in multilingual populations, how accents shape social perception, and how phonetic insight can inform speech therapy and language‑learning applications.
I am currently developing computational approaches to speech analysis, including a prototype Python‑based acoustic analysis tool for clinical vowel assessment. I also continue to research and publish on the teaching and learning of clinical phonetics and linguistics.
My work includes contributions to UK and EU‑funded projects, and I supervise postgraduate researchers in speech sciences, multilingualism, and applied linguistics.
Publications and conferences
Journal papers
Whitworth, N. (2024). Learning to Produce and Transcribe Cardinal Vowels: Speech and Language Therapy Students’ Perception of Task Difficulty. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2024.2336252
Hikmah, N., Hidayati, H., Irwandi, I., Ilham, I., Rahmaniah, R., & Whitworth, N. (2024). Students’ perceptions of using Instagram reels as mobile-assisted language learning to improve speaking skills. English Review: Journal of English Education, 12(1), 385–396. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v12i1.9277.
Oktaviani, E., Ilham, I., Lukman, L., Olatunji, S. O., & Whitworth, N. (2024). The effect of show and tell, role-play and storytelling on speaking skills: Meta-analysis. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 12(2), 846–858. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v12i2.10868.
Setter, J., Knight, R. & Whitworth N. (2023). Re-evaluating the assessment of phonetic skills: what we learned during the pandemic. Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, 7-11 August 2023.
Marshall, S., Hynan, A. & Whitworth, N. (2019). Perceptions of people who use AAC about the potential of speech-generating devices to express identity. Communication Matters Journal, 33(3), 38-40.
Whitworth, N. (2002). Speech rhythm production in three German-English bilingual families. Leeds Working Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics, 9, 175-205.
Whitworth, N. (2000). Acquisition of VOT, and vowel length by English-German bilinguals: A pilot study. Leeds Working Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics, 8.
Research reports
Tan, J., Whitworth, N. & Lander, V. (2022). Building Trust, Stepping Together: An evaluation of the online education work of Open Doors Education & Training with Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Communities. https://www.odet.org.uk/content/downloads/ODET-CRED-Building-Trust-Report-November-2022.pdf.
Willott, J., Whitworth, N. & Hann, N. (2022). ESOL needs analysis and placement for refugee learners: a toolkit for providers. Migration Yorkshire. https://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/refugee-integration-yorkshire-and-humber/esol-needs-analysis-and-placement-refugee-learners-toolkit-providers.
Book chapters
Knight, R., Setter, J. & Whitworth, N. (2021). Pedagogical approaches. In: R. Knight & J. Setter (eds.). The Cambridge Handbook of Phonetics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Whitworth, N. & Knight, R.A. (2014) The place of Clinical Phonetics & Linguistics in the SLT curriculum. In: N. Whitworth & Knight, R.A. (eds.). Methods in Teaching Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. J&R Press, pp.
Whitworth, N. (2014) Acoustic phonetics. In: Whitworth, N. and Knight, R.-A. eds. Methods in Teaching Clinical Phonetics & Linguistics. Guildford: J&R Press, pp. 47–71.
Books
Whitworth, N. & Knight, R. (eds) (2014) Methods in Teaching Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. J&R Press.
Doctoral Thesis
Whitworth, N. (2003). Bilingual acquisition of speech timing: aspects of rhythm production by German-English families [Doctoral Thesis, University of Leeds].
Blog entries
Whitworth, N. (2021). "Accent, identity and prejudice." Carnegie Education. https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blogs/carnegie-education/2021/05/accent-identity-and-prejudice/.
Whitworth, N. (2021). "Where do accents come from?" Carnegie Education. https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blogs/carnegie-education/2021/06/where-do-accents-come-from/.
Whitworth, N. (2014). "How Neanderthals help to assess our understanding of language and speech." Expert Opinion. https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blogs/expert-opinion/2014/01/how-neanderthals-help-to-assess-our-understanding-of-language-and-speech/.
Conference proceedings
Setter, J., Knight, R.-A. and Whitworth, N. (2023). Re-evaluating the assessment of phonetic skills: what we learned during the pandemic. Paper presented at the 20th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Prague
Whitworth, N. & Bray, M. (2015) Emergence of the vowel space in very young children with Down syndrome: An exploratory case study. Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, 10-14 August 2015.
Whitworth, N. (2003). Pre-vocalic boundaries in the speech of German-English bilinguals. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS), Barcelona.
Professional activities
- Treasurer, British Association of Academic Phoneticians (BAAP)
- Member, International Phonetic Association (IPA)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)
- Chartered Management Institute–accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management
