Our department has long been recognized as an internationally excellent centre for the study of English Language and Linguistics. For the last fifty years, we have been known for cutting-edge empirically-based theoretical and applied linguistics research in a wide range of areas. Our mission is to shape and inform pressing cultural, social and educational issues through engagement with key stakeholders in the UK and at a global level.
In our research, we aim to:
continue to develop areas where our research has been especially distinctive
embed linguistic research in an interdisciplinary social science and humanities context
promote work across sub-disciplines within linguistics, especially collaborations between theoretical, social and applied researchers
to engage with users of our research in academia, education, business enterprises and social action
Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021)
In the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021) Linguistics was submitted to Modern Languages and Linguistics. The department achieved the highest possible score for impact and was rated ‘outstanding’ for 100% of our research impact. Linguistics is also rated ‘world-leading’ for 100% of its research environment and ranked 2nd in the UK for overall research quality.
100% of research impact rated 'outstanding'
100% of research environment rated 'world-leading'
Ranked 2nd in the UK for overall research quality
The REF shows that Linguistics continues to be a large and diverse department in which nearly all staff both teach and do internationally-recognised research.
Research centres and groups
With research groups in cognitive linguistics, corpus studies, discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, language testing, literacy studies, phonetics, and second language learning and teaching, the opportunities for learning extend far beyond the classroom.
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The Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University is one of the largest and most diverse centres for cognitive linguistics research in the UK. Our research addresses 'core' areas of cognitive linguistics, including metaphor and figuratively, construction grammar, usage-based approaches to language acquisition and change, linguistic typology, and cultural and linguistic relativity. We also have strengths in more ‘applied’ areas of cognitive linguistics, including cognitive critical discourse analysis, cognitive stylistics, cognitive sociolinguistics, and second language learning.
The Culture and Communication Research Network (CULCOM) connects colleagues from across the University who are interested in any aspect of communication and culture. CULCOM is open to all Lancaster University staff, students and visiting scholars.
The Discourse and Text Research Group (DisTex) brings together researchers interested in how meaning is made in different contexts, modes and genres of communication. Our research addresses social, historical, cognitive and interactional dimensions of meaning in text and discourse.
CASS is a Centre designed to bring a new method in the study of language – the corpus approach – to a range of social sciences. In doing it provides an insight into the use and manipulation of language in society in a host of areas of pressing concern, including climate change, hate crime and education. By providing fresh perspectives in such problems, we are helping to develop new approaches to challenging practices such as hate speech both in terms of raising awareness and of informing policy makers and other stakeholders of how such language may be used to wound and offend.
FACTOR (Forensic linguistics, Cybersecurity and Technology Research) focuses on the ways that forensic linguistics and forensic speech science intersect with cybersecurity and technology. Our research includes linguistically-informed investigations, intelligence, and evidence; the challenges and opportunities afforded by technologies like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI); and how developments in these areas play out in (cyber)security and protection contexts.
The Literacy Research Centre (LLRC) at Lancaster University works to understand the role of literacy in all areas of social life and to improve communication and collaboration between researchers and educational practice. We welcome all practitioners and students concerned with literacy, including new MA and PhD students as well as other academic visitors.
Language, Ideology and Power Group (LIP) investigate the way language and other semiotic resources are used to communicate, legitimate and instantiate social identities and relations in a variety of discursive contexts.
As such, our work falls broadly in the field of Critical Discourse Studies (CDS), an approach to discourse and discourse analysis which focusses on the way social issues are constructed through text and talk.
The Perception and Learning Laboratory (PERLL) is the EEG lab of the Department of Linguistics and English Language. Our facilities enable and facilitate research by staff and students into the neural basis of language and linguistically mediated perception, and psycholinguistic aspects of language learning. Lab research strengths include linguistic/cultural relativity, bilingual cognition, perceptual/statistical learning, and lexical processing/representations in bilinguals.
The Second Language Learning and Teaching Research Group (SLLAT) welcomes staff, students, and visitors interested in issues in second language learning and pedagogy.
Activities include talks, reports of research work-in-progress, the development of research projects, workshops, and occasional guest speakers. Membership of SLLAT is open to all Lancaster University staff, students and visitors.
UCREL NLP Group - a diverse community of language enthusiasts and researchers. With members from various disciplines, we explore Natural Language Processing (NLP) across 20 languages worldwide. Together, our academic team has published 1600+ papers with over 23,000 citations. Join us as we reshape the world through the power of language.
Research facilities
The Department has outstanding research resources. We have fully equipped laboratories for eye-tracking, phonetics, EEG (Electroencephalography) and child language analysis. These facilities are used by undergraduate students, postgraduate students and staff for a variety of research projects.
