Language and Asylum Research Group (LARG) Seminars, 2011-2012

"Language Analysis of Asylum Applicants: Foundations, Guidelines & Best Practice"

A series of four workshops are to be based at Essex in 2011-12, under an ESRC Research Seminars grant (RES-451-26-0911) to Prof. Peter L. Patrick. They will assemble linguists and professionals involved in Language Analysis for Determination of Origins (LADO), as well as participants from legal and government backgrounds engaged in refugee status determination, to examine the issues involved in interpreting language data from asylum seekers.

Governments regularly use language expertise to assess claims by undocumented asylum seekers. Commercial agencies are employed by immigration departments in the Americas, Pacific and Europe to carry out Language Analysis for Determination of Origins. LADO assumes features of languages natively spoken by persecuted groups can reliably indicate whether applicants belong to such groups. Academics are often involved in evaluating and criticising the production and legal interpretation of such claims.

The first seminar, with a focus on methodology (eliciting data to sample speakers' linguistic repertoires), will be held in June 2011 at the University of Essex. The description of the workshop is available here.

Convenor: Prof. Peter L. Patrick

Dates: First workshop expected on Friday 17 June 2011 in the Senate Room (4.722)

Prof. Peter L. Patrick (Language & Linguistics) has recently convened an international Language and Asylum Research Group (LARG) based at Essex, with 5 Advisory Board members from University of Essex – himself, Dr. Enam Al-Wer (Linguistics); Profs. John Packer (Human Rights Centre), Geoff Gilbert (Law) and Renos Papadopoulos (Centre for Trauma, Asylum and Refugees) – and 12 from around the world (Australia, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, USA). A group of experts in forensic linguistics, migration law and human rights, including representatives of government, asylum NGOs, lawyers and academics, LARG’s primary mission is to stimulate research and promote best-practice for LADO practitioners.

Web: http://www.essex.ac.uk/larg/

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