Language and Society
The satellite brings together researchers from:
- the School of Education: James Simpson, Mike Baynham, Lou Harvey
- the School of English: Julia Snell (Convenor), Tony Crowley, Kate Spowage, Mel Evans
- the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies: Bethan Davies, Gisela Tomé Lourido, Rasha Soliman, James Wilson
- the Language Centre: Yolanda Cerdá
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Julia Snell ([email protected]).
We address a broad range of research questions, such as: What are the processes through which linguistic features and styles come to be associated with social meanings? Why do regional dialects persist in the face of overt stigmatisation? What kinds of classroom talk are best for children’s learning? How is language involved in the replication of educational inequalities? How do people communicate across different languages and cultures in diverse urban centres? How are class, gender and ethnic identities constructed through language use? How are language-related issues represented in and by the media?
To address these questions, we draw upon a range of research methodologies and perspectives, including, quantitative variationist sociolinguistics, interactional sociolinguistics, linguistic ethnography, and discourse analysis.
News
Language@Leeds Triennial Showcase: Call for Posters
All researchers and scholars working on language-related projects at the University of Leeds are invited to submit a poster (or several posters) about their research and scholarship projects. The showcase, entitled: "Language research to address regional and global challenges", will be an in-person public event held at Nexus on 1 April 2025, 4-6:30pm. Guidance Please...
Tackling accent bias could improve students’ sense of belonging in HE
Tackling accent bias at universities could improve students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging, according to new research exploring accent discrimination in higher education institutions. Accent discrimination is reported to be widespread at UK Russell Group Universities, and 41% of university students from the North of England express concern that their accent may affect their future success. New research by Gisela...
Policy, Pedagogy and the Policing of “nonstandard” English
To what extent does children’s spoken dialect influence their writing? Does correcting pupils’ speech improve their writing? What consequences might overt correction have for pupil participation and learning? Research by Julia Snell (School of English) and her colleague Ian Cushing (Edgehill University) set out to addresses these questions through investigation of primary school children’s writing,...
Events
Language, Discourse, and Society Research Group End-of-Term Event
The Language, Discourse, and Society Research Group (School of English) are delighted to welcome Dr Colin Reilly (University of Stirling)...
Forensic Work in Progress Session
Please join us for a work-in-progress session, where we will hear a series of presentations on current research within a...