English Student Returns for Graduate Research

Former student, Heather Neillans, returned to college last month to conduct research on current English students.  Heather, who completed her A-levels at the college in 2010, is now in her final year of an English Language degree at Leeds University and has decided to explore attitudes to the way people speak in Wirral.  An A2 English Language class was asked to record their responses to a number of Wirral speakers.  Heather was inspired to do this when she got to know a number of students from the south of England who thought she ‘had a strong Liverpool accent.  And though they were friendly, the tired stereotyping of Scousers was never far from the surface.’

When Heather joined The Sixth Form College she was quite uncertain of what direction to take: ‘I had only a vague sense that I wanted to go to university, and hadn’t settled on a subject.  But I was inspired and encouraged by the English department to enjoy, and do well, in the subject.  My teachers gave me the skills and confidence to progress to one of the best universities in the country for English, and so I was glad to be able to return to the college for my research.’