Discourses of Inclusive and Exclusionary Health Communication : Healthcare, Language, and Inclusivity

As the first of two companion volumes, this book provides a comprehensive collection of applied linguistics studies on health inclusivity, showcasing empirical research and methodological insights on different languages such as British Sign Language, Chinese, Danish, English, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

The volume presents studies on health inclusivity based on first-hand patient experiences and explores the representation of health and illness across scientific, institutional, and media discourses. It features a wide range of linguistic methodologies and frameworks such as qualitative discourse studies, corpus-based discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, public involvement, narrative analysis, and metaphor analysis, as applied to a variety of contexts and communities. Integrating examples of projects and campaigns that promote inclusive healthcare, the chapters discuss potential practical implications and offer recommendations for applications to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

This is an essential resource for academics working in linguistics and discourse studies applied to healthcare, as well as students seeking deeper insights into how health communication, sociology, and health and social care workers can inform institutional practices and shape policy discussions, and broaden social perspectives of health inclusivity across a global scale.

Kayo Kondo is a Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University, UK. Her research collaborations extend across the UK and Japan, where she works closely with health and social care practitioners through research projects and academic seminars.

Sara Vilar-Lluch is a Lecturer in Language and Linguistics at Cardiff University, Wales, UK. Her research interests are in discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and Systemic Functional Linguistics, particularly as applied to health communication. Recent studies include applications to health guidance and immunization discourses.

Maria Tsimpiri is a linguist with a research background in (im)politeness, cross-linguistic influence, and speech acts, and how their dynamic shift impacts global communication. Her pedagogical affiliation is with the University of East Anglia, UK. She is the founder and director of Logos UK.

Taochen Zhou is Chinese Language Teaching and Learning Officer at the Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield with a PhD in Applied Linguistics. Her research interests and publications focus on metaphor analysis, functional grammar, language acquisition, and language and aging.

Andreas Musolff is Professor Emeritus of Intercultural Communication at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He has published widely on Political Discourse and Figurative Language.