Language and Communication Studies at UEA

Language and Communication Studies are home to the New Area Studies Centre and have consistently been ranked in the top 5 of British universities for REF, a major Government analysis of university research quality, for Area Studies. We focus on deepening understanding of human cultures and communities, including their linguistic, historical, and literary transformations, through our ground-breaking, interdisciplinary research, which crosses the border between Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences.

Research Expertise

The work we undertake within the field of Language and Communication Studies has successfully positioned us at the cutting edge of research within translation studies, linguistic pragmatics, sociolinguistics, socio-cultural studies and intercultural communication.

Translating and Interpreting

We work on and welcome projects that explore new ways of approaching and studying translation and interpreting, with a focus on research directed at 'real world' translation practice in media, sport and other professional contexts (Baines and Black), as well as translation studies (Wilson). We have a particular interest in the growing practice of audio-visual translation, exploring the issues of media and arts accessibility, audio-visual translation for children, and the reception of translated audio-visual content (Black).

Language, culture, intercultural communication and cross-cultural pragmatics

Under this area of enquiry, we welcome projects that focus on communication practice in media, political and professional contexts with specific reference to cross- and inter-cultural variation.

Specific expertise in this area includes: politeness, gender and language, historical linguistics and pragmatics, ancient Egyptian philology, sociolinguistics, and widening participation in modern language education (Ridealgh); relationship between structures and meanings, theoretical pragmatics, language in context, semantics-pragmatics interface, formal models of dialogue (Elder). We can also supervise on language, culture and politics, particularly in Latin America or within specific marginalised communities (Marsh) and in Japan (Tomizawa-Kay).

Personal and professional development

The Arts and Humanities programme for postgraduate researchers will support you in developing your research skills, from the writing of the thesis to working within a wider academic environment, and from working as a professional academic to disseminating work to a wider public.

Funding and Scholarships 

UEA is a member of two prestigious Doctoral Training Partnerships: the SENSS South and East Network for Social Science (funded by the Economic and Social Research Council) and the CHASE Doctoral Training Partnership (funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council). These memberships give UEA students privileged access to a range of training opportunities, resources and funding opportunities, both at UEA and across the consortium's other institutions.

Membership of the Doctoral Training Partnerships means that UEA students are eligible to apply for SENSS and CHASE scholarships.

Deadlines for the doctoral training programme funding will be in December, but we welcome applications from students with their own funding all year - please enquire a.tomatsuri@uea.ac.uk for further information.

Contacts

Website page: https://www.uea.ac.uk/web/about/school-of-politics-philosophy-language-and-communication-studies/language-and-communication-studies/research 

Humanities Graduate School: https://www.uea.ac.uk/arts-humanities/graduate-school

Email: pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk