An ESRC-funded postgraduate researcher in sociolinguistics, I am completing an Education PhD at the University of Stirling.
My PhD builds on sociolinguistic research indicating that speakers in highly linguistically diverse settings communicate with each other by fluidly drawing on all their meaning-making resources, a practice known as translanguaging. Using linguistic ethnographic methods, my research seeks to understand how communication occurs between participants in refugee- and migrant-support groups, and what effect these communicative practices have on the inclusion of language-minoritised speakers.
Findings from my research will inform understanding of how complex communicative repertoires are used in linguistically diverse settings. Furthermore, the findings will have the potential to improve the accessibility of services for refugees and other migrants, indicating ways that translanguaging can enable speakers of other languages to more fully participate and bring their expertise to the coproduction and leadership of services.
My previous work as an ESOL teacher, education researcher and service manager in the field of refugee support has been commended by the British Council and Learning & Work Institute.