insight4me Linguistics: Language & Power with Dr Doris Dippold from University of Surrey & Dr Chris Heffer from Cardiff University

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• University of Surrey: Dr Doris Dippold, Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication in the School of Literature & Languages, will present Language, power and politeness: how language shapes who is in charge. This talk introduces students to the relationship between language, power and politeness. We will discuss the features which signal authority and deference, followed by a discussion of who holds the power and why in short dialogues. A central point of focus of the session is politeness theory, which will be introduced and discussed with a particular focus on power as one of the factors that shapes peoples’ choice of politeness strategies, introducing 6th-formers to how language constructs power and politeness in everyday interaction. The central aim of the session is to help students recognise that small linguistic moves – hedges, questions, apologies, firmness – shape relationships and influence outcomes.

• Cardiff University: Dr Chris Heffer is Reader in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy. Chris presents Language and Power in the Courtroom: Who Really Has Control? When we study language and power, we often start from the idea that the person in charge of an interaction—such as a teacher in a classroom or a police officer in an interview—automatically has all the power. However, is this always true? We’ll take a closer look at one of the most extreme examples of power imbalance by exploring how trial lawyers carefully design questions to limit answers and steer witnesses in particular directions. But what happens when a witness is allowed to tell their story in their own words, and does power change when we think about who knows what in the courtroom? In this talk, we will examine the vital role of linguistics in challenging common assumptions about how language works and how this understanding can shape legal proceedings and their outcomes.
   

In this insight4me Linguistics online event for schools and colleges, University of Surrey and Cardiff University will each have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, interactive topic based ‘micro’ talk. Within an overall session theme of Language & Power, the universities have the freedom to choose their own focus and use the time to convey the key points of the case studies for the students.

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for 16+ pre-university students. The sessions directly support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording an understanding of how these subjects continue beyond A-levels, T-levels, IB, BTEC and equivalent qualifications, and how they vary between universities.

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, English, Linguistics and related disciplines. Student groups, and individual students and teachers are very welcome to join us.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 2 topics and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via typed comments and questions or via a microphone if preferred. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here