Languages and Linguistics at Essex is first for research impact

Essex is first in the UK for research impact for modern languages and linguistics research according to Times Higher Education (THE), following the publication of the Research Excellence Framework.

Across all of the key measures – research output, research impact and research environment – Essex is third overall for research quality in the UK for modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021). Alongside its top ranking for research impact, Essex was also ranked sixth for research environment by THE.

REF2021 is the system for assessing the quality and impact of research at UK universities and highlights the University of Essex’s impressive growth and increasing impact. Times Higher Education's research power measure looks at REF2021 assessment of research outputs, research impact and research environment alongside the number of staff submitted by each institution for each unit of assessment.

89% of our modern languages and linguistics research output, impact and environment is rated world-leading or internationally excellent, 100% of our research impact in modern languages and linguistics is world-leading, and 100% of our research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Head of the Department of Language and Linguistics, Dr Tracey Costley, said: “The strength of the Department lies in the breadth of linguistic research conducted by leading international researchers in central aspects of linguistics.

“We focus on language variation and change, phonetics and phonology, language policy and multilingualism, syntax and semantics; as well as language learning and teaching, first and second language acquisition, language perception and processing and conversation analysis. These exciting aspects of linguistics are investigated in a wide range of languages with the department having special expertise in Arabic, English, Mesoamerican and African Languages.”

The Department’s key strengths are:

1. Breadth of specialist knowledge
2. Engagement with key aspects of linguistics – Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Applied and Descriptive Linguistics, Language Learning and Teaching, Translation, Interpreting and Subtitling.
3. International collaborative research and research-led teaching

Research impact

The Department of Language and Linguistics is committed to research impact. You can find out more on its research pages and in our research showcase area.

• Impact: Improving language analysis to create a fairer system for asylum seekers and other migrants
• Impact: Shaping foreign language learning and teaching in primary schools