Language and Society

This satellite highlights the interplay between language and society. Focusing on language in its social context, our research examines the ways in which identities and relations are produced in language practice, the role of language in social life (including its relationships to power, national identity, ideology, and institutional inequalities), and the dynamics of language within globalisation and intercultural contact.

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, Marco Santello, Giulio Bajona, Rasha Soliman, James Wilson
  • the Language Centre: Yolanda Cerdá

If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Julia Snell (j.snell@leeds.ac.uk).

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.

 

 

Events and news from this satellite

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To what extent does children’s spoken dialect influence their writing? Does correcting pupils’ speech improve their writing? What consequences might...

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On 31st March 2022, TES reported on research by Julia Snell (School of English) and her colleague Ian Cushing (Edgehill University) which exposes...

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Dates: 2021-2023 Funding body: Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (£51,390) Primary investigator: Dr. Julia Snell (School of English) L@L satellite: Language...

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Dr Ian Cushing (Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University) Discussants: Prof. Cecile De Cat (Linguistics), Prof. Alice Deignan and Dr Paula...

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Linguistic/Cultural Diversity in Teaching and Learning: Why it matters This is the first in a series of events discussing the...

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Accented Racism at Work Invited talk by Dr Vijay Ramjattan (University of Toronto) Discussions about accent and racism in the...

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Panel on Counter-Narratives in Language Education Research Toward a Raciolinguistic Genealogical Perspective on Language Education Policy  Dr Nelson Flores  (University...

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