Language and Literacies

We recognise the centrality of language to the social and cultural contexts within which learning and language use takes place. Underpinning our work is the development of innovative research methods, including:

• the use of fine-grained linguistic analysis
• the use of multimodal analysis to capture language in interaction with sounds, images, bodily movement and gesture
• the use of discourse analysis to examine the ways in which shared understanding is developed in social context over time
• new approaches to research into second language learning and teaching, including the analysis of multimodal communication in online settings.

Our work covers a range of research areas, including:

• academic and professional literacies, and the digital literacy development of teachers
• English in a global context – the role, status and use of English around the world in the era of globalisation, including the use of English as a language for international development and English and the language of social media
• children’s informal language and literacy practices, and children’s literature
• early literacy development in a digital age
• foreign and second language learning and teaching in a range of contexts, including independent learning and the application of new technologies.