I joined The Open University as Professor in Pragmatics and Interaction in 2019 and was Head of School of Languages and Applied Linguistics from 2019-2022.
Before joining the OU, I worked at the School of Literature and Languages at the University of Surrey as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader in Communication and (Spanish) Linguistics (1999–2019). I have also worked at the Department of Applied Linguistics at St Mary’s University College, University of Surrey and as a teacher of English and Spanish as foreign languages at several institutions in the UK and abroad.
I have a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Sheffield (1999) and professional qualifications in Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching and Management and Leadership.
My research interests are focused on interpersonal pragmatics and sociolinguistics. My research is primarily built around the analysis of how language is used in face to face and mediated social interactions, with a focus on topics that involve the examination of conversational interaction, (im)politeness, morality and the relationship between linguistic practices and (im)mobility in diverse communicative environments. As part of this, I am collaborator and consultant on a Spanish Research Council funded project examining historical, linguistic and discourse perspectives on face management processes and (im)politeness.
I have recently led projects on the unfolding of linguistic practices of Latin Americans in Madrid and ethnolinguistic minorities in the UK and on the discursive constructions of morality in public and private discourse. My current research focuses on understanding shifts in cultural values and the new communicative practices brought about by the increasing use of digital technologies, as well as the role of diverse communicative practices for sustainable livelihoods in the informal economies of the Global South and the Global North.
I welcome prospective PhD projects in these areas, with a focus on topics that involve the examination of conversational interaction, (im)politeness and the relationship between linguistic practices and (im)mobility in diverse communicative environments. My recent doctoral research student (co) supervision includes:
Linda Bruce (current) New speakers of Scots and Scots English (AHRC Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP)
Phoebe Lowry (current) Moroccans in Paris: linguistic practices and landscaping (AHRC Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP)
Jade Matos Carew (current) An investigation into the professional needs and development of British Sign Language teachers
Christian Schmitt (current) Leadership construction across media and time in a distributed team
I have led and designed MA programmes in Intercultural Communication and International Business and Communication and International Marketing as well as evaluated MA programmes in other UK universities and abroad. I have also taught modules for MA programmes on a range of subjects pertinent to Applied Linguistics, including Interpersonal Communication, Organisational Communication and Applied Linguistic Principles.
I also led and developed a Doctoral Training Programme across Schools offering both generic and subject specific skills.
In addition to this, I have designed, taught, and evaluated courses delivered in English and Spanish for undergraduate degrees, including Introduction to spoken interaction, (Spanish) language in society, Advanced translation strategies and Interpreting (English to Spanish).
My research engages with transnational and migrant populations in globalised business settings and has supported change in the diverse workplaces in which it was conducted. This has included providing advice on intercultural communication to support working practices in outsourced call centres. Further to the impact of my research on business settings, I have provided expert input to a UK regulatory body on issues of language and racism in sports. Through the Centre for Open Languages and Cultures I have helped develop a series of short courses on languages to address disparities in access. I have also engaged a wide range of professional and community groups, including a recent knowledge exchange project with Deaf Action Scotland to develop a blended on-line British Sign Language curriculum.
I am Associate Editor of the journal Pragmatics, was founding editor and Editor-in -Chief of Spanish in Context and Co-Editor since 2010. I am also an Advisory Board member of several journals, including Journal of Politeness Research: Language, Behaviour, Culture; Complutense Journal of English Studies, International Journal of Language Studies, Journal of Language, Linguistics and Translation, International Arab Journal of English For Specific Purposes and Contrastive Pragmatics. I am member of the AHRC Peer-Review College and have acted as reviewer for other Research Councils, such as the Economic Social Research Council, the European Science Foundation, the Spanish Research Council, the Swiss Research Council and the Polish Research Council. I am an academic reviewer for Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET, Argentina (2017-present) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Agencia Nacional de Evaluación y Prospectiva, Secretaría General de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación) (2015-present). In addition to these activities, I have been a member of the scientific committee of a number of international conferences, most recently the International Pragmatics Conference.