'Lockdown language' is the first public lecture at Lancaster University this season which will be online

This Series, entitled ‘Talking About…’ differs from previous years by exclusively showcasing research from Lancaster University staff relating to the pandemic and its impacts, from health to ways of talking about Covid, from challenges for business resilience, new ways of caring in our communities to using spaces and places differently.

The first lecture begins with ‘A battle, a tsunami or a raging fire? Metaphors for Covid-19 and why they matter’ on November 12 at 6.30pm.

Linguists Professors Veronika Koller and Elena Semino will discuss how metaphors have been used to communicate about different aspects of the pandemic and why it matters that metaphors are used sensitively and effectively.

Then William Dance, also a linguist, will look at how people online talk about 'truth' and 'facts' differently in relation to Covid-19.

His lecture, ‘Pandemics and Infodemics: The Language of disinformation during Covid-19’ will explore how disinformation has adapted to the pandemic and discusses how policymakers, educators and others can develop strategies to stop the spread of falsehoods online.

The lectures will be broadcast live via Microsoft Teams and will be open to all. You do not need to have a Microsoft Teams account or a Microsoft licence to attend.

There will be a live question and answer session at the end of the lecture.

Each lecture will be recorded and you will have the opportunity to watch it on Lancaster University's YouTube Channel as well as the Public Lectures page after the live event takes place.

For any questions about the Series or how to access the lectures through Teams, please get in touch at [email protected].

Book your free tickets on Eventbrite. Once registered for a lecture, a link will be sent to access it on the evening.