- CorpusCast with Dr Robbie Love is the podcast all about corpus linguistics and what it can do for society
- Dr Guyanne Wilson, from University College London, discusses the link between corpus linguistics and social justice
- Dr Wilson explains how corpus linguistics can debunk misconceptions about non-standard English varieties.
The link between corpus linguistics and social justice is one of the major themes discussed in the latest episode of CorpusCast with Dr Robbie Love.
Dr Robbie Love, a senior lecturer in English language and linguistics at Aston University, is an applied linguist, specialising in corpus linguistics.
Featuring Dr Guyanne Wilson, Quirk Lecturer in English Linguistics at University College London, the episode centres on her work in documenting and analysing ‘World Englishes’, emphasising the diversity of English varieties spoken around the globe.
Dr Wilson shares insights into her experiences researching the sociolinguistics of these varieties, as well as the critical role corpus linguistics plays in understanding them.
“World Englishes are about justice”, says Dr Wilson.
“It's about describing varieties of English and letting people understand that these are not broken varieties of English... these are systematic varieties that have developed over time.”
Dr Wilson explains how corpus linguistics can debunk misconceptions about postcolonial English varieties, showing they are just as valid as the more dominant forms like British or American English.
The episode also highlights Dr Wilson’s contributions to the International Corpus of English (ICE) project, particularly her efforts in compiling and annotating corpora for Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda.
She looks into the unique challenges of documenting spoken language in multilingual contexts, where creole languages are often mixed with English, even in formal settings.
She said:
“In Trinidad and Tobago, for example, even in courtroom settings, people skilfully mix Creole and English. It’s a fascinating but challenging dynamic to capture.”
Dr Wilson’s journey in corpus linguistics began serendipitously, as she shared in the podcast:
“I was approached by someone on Facebook about a PhD position compiling the Trinidad and Tobago corpus... It was Tuesday, so I said, 'Yeah, sure, I'm interested!'” This moment of opportunity led her into the world of corpus linguistics, where she now stands as a key figure, especially in the study of World Englishes.
The episode offers a compelling discussion on the future of corpus linguistics and how new corpora can better reflect the multilingual realities of global English varieties.
Dr Wilson notes that many traditional corpus models, like the ICE framework, struggle with multilingual representation. “Because of the rules of how ICE is made, you end up taking out Creole speech, or in multilingual settings, it's just not transcribed... which means erasing important elements of how English is actually used,” she explains.
Dr Wilson is currently developing a new historical corpus of Caribbean English, one of her most personal projects to date.
“This is my idea... I want to document this variety from before our independence to now, and I want to do it really, really well. If this is the only thing I give back to the people who have given me so many opportunities, I want it to be done right,” says Dr Wilson, highlighting the importance of representing Caribbean voices accurately in linguistic research.
The full episode is available now on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
- Notes to Editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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