Language and Linguistic Science at York is #1 in Research Excellence Framework

Posted on 20 June 2022

The research conducted in our department is the best in the country according to the official ranking of the latest REF results

The linguistics research conducted in our department has been ranked as the best in the UK by the Times Higher Education (THE), based on the results of the latest REF (Research Excellence Framework) #REF2021 #REFResults. We are proud to report the highest overall score of all linguistics departments in the UK, and the highest proportion (98%) of overall submission rated as “world leading” or “internationally excellent”.

“The REF outcomes are a wonderful recognition, not only of the world leading research done by my colleagues in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science, but also of the way in which they have used their insights and findings to make real changes. Their work has helped improve professional development for A-level English teachers as well as our understanding of the characteristics of the human voice, which is essential to Forensic Linguistics, automated speech recognition and many other areas. I am very happy to work in such an excellent department and with such wonderful colleagues.” - Prof Monika Schmid, Head of Department (Dept Language and Linguistic Science)

The largest component of the REF is an evaluation of scholarly research outputs such as journal articles, books, and corpora. There is also a component relating to Impact Case Studies (ICSs), the application of research results outside their original context. Both our ICSs received the highest possible score, putting us as one of the best departments in this category.

One ICS is focussed on the A-Level English Language curriculum. Our submission includes the content and impact of the The York English Language Toolkit, which supports the English A-level curriculum through materials and workshops aimed at teachers. The Toolkit gives teachers and students access to the latest linguistics research from York. It comprises 18 case studies encompassing the core areas of the English Language curriculum: Language Use, Acquisition, Diversity and Change.

Allied with this is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) ‘Accents, Attitudes and Identity: Introduction to Sociolinguistics’, which is a self-study resource for students, hosted by FutureLearn. It sets our research on Accent Bias and on Social Category Association in the broader context of prior research in sociolinguistics.

Through our partnerships with educators, we also provided direct input into curriculum review for the Cambridge International A-level exam board. The report by our academic team of the Cambridge International A/AS English Language qualification was informed by our experience of working with UK teachers, and directly led to changes in the curriculum, drawing on different aspects of our research and including an updated set of linguistic terms and topics that are more suited to a global audience of learners.

Another ICS is based on the work of the Forensic Speech Science group at York in informing practice and providing training for law enforcement agencies, and contributing to developing legal policy and regulation. The group’s research covers a wide range of issues in phonetics, sociolinguistics, speech technology as well as forensic speech science.

Forensic speaker comparison, where two voices are compared, plays a significant role in a variety of settings, including criminal casework. It is vital to have a proper understanding of the efficiency and sensitivity of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems, and how they can best be used in tandem with analysis by expert linguists. Our research has shown that errors made by ASR systems can be resolved by experts, suggesting that a combined approach of automatic and linguistic methods is most effective. We also test the sensitivity of ASR systems to variations in accent, and have assessed the effectiveness of English language oral tests used as part of the UK immigration process.

The UK Government Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) is seeking to improve the quality of forensic evidence through a process of accreditation, as this is increasingly a factor in whether courts admit speech evidence. Our academics are long-standing members of the FSR’s committee for Forensic Speech and Audio, which produced guidance in the Regulator’s Code of Practice for FSS record keeping, handling of material, methods and validation. We have worked with several UK Government departments and committees, including the FSR’s committee for Forensic Speech and Audio, and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) briefing for MPs on forensic linguistics and phonetics.

York’s research has had substantial international impact on casework practice in government laboratories in Europe and North America. It “significantly contribute(s) to the scientific underpinning of forensic casework” at the Netherlands Forensic Institute and informs all cases conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Audio Video Analysis Unit.

York is “consistently producing research highly relevant for forensic institutes like ours at the BKA” and is “the only institute worldwide that pursues this line of research with this level of intensity and practical relevance.” - Forensic Speech Scientist from the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA; German Federal forensic laboratory)

“Expert insights provided by researchers from York, supported by their publications, were key to the development of the POSTnote (briefing) on Forensic Language Analysis.” - Knowledge Exchange Lead, POST

The Times Higher Education has also positioned the University of York in the top 10 in the UK for the quality of our research.