Political discourse has long been the domain of critical linguists on the one hand, and political scientists on the other. In the last few decades, linguists, translation scholars and political scientists have begun to take a more interdisciplinary approach to the discourse. Emeritus Professor Ruth Wodak (Lancaster University) will hold the keynote lecture.

This two-day conference will explore and debate the diversity of methods used to analyse political discourse in order to encourage the conversation between disciplines involved. It will discuss the merits and issues of different methodological approaches to discourse and explore which insights discourse analysts can give into the cultural dependencies of political discourses in a European and global context.

Prof. Ruth Wodak Professor of Linguistics and English Literature at Lancaster University. Professor Wodak’s recent work focuses on the discourse, rhetoric and argumentation of populist right-wing politicians across Europe (compared with the “tea-party” movement in the US). She has recently published an introduction to critical discourse analysis.

Prof. Alan Finlayson Professor of Political and Social Theory at UEA . Professor Finlayson is Associate Editor of the journal Contemporary Political Theory and has recently published papers on the distinctive characteristics of political speech and nationalism as a political ideology.

For more information go to ucl.ac.uk