The FORGE and the Lancaster University Phonetics Lab are delighted to announce our first joint external guest speaker of 2015: Dr Erica Gold. Erica began working at the University of Huddersfield in 2014, and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Linguistics. Details of her talk are below:

TITLE
What can Bayes do for you? Using phonetic and linguistic evidence in the courtroom

ABSTRACT
The forensic sciences are currently undergoing what Saks and Koehler (2005) have suggested is a ‘paradigm shift’. That is more and more forensic scientists are adopting the likelihood ratio framework for presenting forensic evidence in the courtroom. This talk will provide a basic introduction to Bayesian statistics and likelihood ratios, with an emphasis on phonetic and linguistic evidence. The presentation will consider the current methods for presenting phonetic and linguistic evidence in the UK, and also provide empirical results from likelihood ratio research using phonetic parameters. The talk will then conclude by looking at potential avenues for development in the field.

TIME & PLACE
W05, 1600-1700, Wed 04^th Nov, Frankland Colloquium

The FORGE and the Pragmatics & Stylistics Research Group (PaSty) are delighted to announce our first joint external guest speaker of 2015: Danuta Reah. Danuta is a crime novelist who has written books featuring forensic linguistics. Details of her talk are below:

TITLE
Language, Crime, and Death

ABSTRACT
Please be aware that this talk will involve reference to criminal cases, including murder.

Our language tells more about us that we realise – every time we speak or write, we give away things we don’t intend. This is the field of the forensic linguist, searching for the truth that is hiding behind the words. This talk looks at aspects of forensic linguistics: the man who was hanged because the word ‘the’ appeared in his statement – or did it? the way a voice identified a criminal decades after the crime. It also looks at the ways a novelist can weave stories around the secrets hidden in language.

BIO
Danuta Reah published her first novel, Only Darkness, in 1999. She has subsequently written seven novels, the latest being The Last Room. She had also published prize winning short stories. Crime – or dissent – runs in the family. Her father was declared an enemy of the state by Stalin, and one of her ancestors was hung, drawn and quartered in 1646 for his religious beliefs.

You can find out more about Danuta’s work and life at her website. Danuta is also on Twitter and Facebook.

TIME & PLACE
W04, 1600-1700, Tue 27^th Oct, Management School Lecture Theatre 3