Applied Linguistics and Literacies research group

Our world-leading research paves the way for new understandings of how to navigate our professional, educational and personal lives in an increasingly interconnected world, and the role of language and communication within it. Our research areas include:

• language and social media,
• professional and academic literacies,
• English as an international language,
• English for academic purposes,
• language and poverty,
• language and gender,
• media discourse,
• language and creativity,
• health discourse,
• language assessment
• and multilingualism

We use a range of methods to address questions such as:

• How does social media shape how we communicate with each other?
• How do people communicate within different institutions – the workplace, higher education, the media, the health sector – and with what effects for society?
• How can we explain the growing use of English in countries across the globe?
• How does language reflect social, economic and political inequalities – and how can it be used to address them?

Our researchers collaborate with policy makers and practitioners in a wide range of domains to ensure that our research has a positive impact on society. We work to shape policy and practice and to recommend good practice in education, professional contexts and everyday life.