Linguistics in the courtroom
Aneta Pavlenko, Temple University
Applied linguists are often asked about the relevance of their research for the ‘real world’. What
exactly do we apply linguistics to? What difference, if any, do we make? In this talk, I will
discuss forensic linguistics as an area where linguists are increasingly making a difference
through both research and expert testimony. Drawing on recent research findings and on my own
experience as expert witness in a murder case and the case of a friend of the Boston Marathon
bomber, I will discuss methods used to analyze language as evidence, ethical and practical issues
faced by linguists in the courtroom, and ways in which we can affect public policy and raise
awareness of linguistic inequalities in educational and legal settings.
References
Coulthard, M. & A. Johnson (2007) An introduction to forensic linguistics: Language in
evidence. Routledge.
Eades, D. (2010) Sociolinguistics and the legal process. Multilingual Matters.
Pavlenko, A. (2008) Non-native speakers of English and the Miranda warnings. TESOL
Quarterly, 42, 1, 1-30.