On Wednesday, 26 July 2023, the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University hosted the first meeting of a new Culture and Communication Network connecting colleagues from across the university with an interest in any aspect of communication and culture. The network event was attended by academic staff and professional development staff.
The first half of the day was dedicated to conference-style presentations of completed work and work-in-progress in the areas of science communication, health communication, and education. Question and answer sessions further allowed participants to get to know each other’s work.
The second half of the day included brainstorming discussions on the future of the network, future research ideas, discussions about the meaning of culture, the link between language and culture, language learning, and plenty of metaphors. Is English a second-class passport to the world compared to speaking other languages which can be a first-class visa?
To close the day, Helen Spencer-Oatey, Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Communication at University of Warwick and Co-founder and Director of Global People Consulting (and a former PhD student at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University!) shared her experience helping corporate clients resolve communication issues when working across cultures.
The event was funded through a FASS Research Catalyst award.
