Center for the Study of Language and Society (CSLS)

Research

Research in the CSLS investigates how language is embedded in social life. This includes studies focusing on how languages develop and change across time and space, how language use varies across different social contexts and situations, how language becomes a site for political representation and struggle, and the real-world impact that beliefs about language have on people’s lives.

We adopt an interdisciplinary approach to these topics, bringing together theoretical perspectives from across the humanities and social sciences and drawing on quantitative, qualitative and experimental methods. We work closely with other Institutes in the Faculty of Humanities (particularly the Institutes of English, French, German, Linguistics, Slavic Studies, Italian and Spanish, Digital Humanities and Social Anthropology), as well as with colleagues in the Faculties of Science, Social Science and Human Science and the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies. The CSLS also maintains strong links with research centers across Switzerland and internationally.

See our projects pages for information about current major projects underway in the CSLS. See also individual researcher profiles for further details.

If you are interested in a research visit to the CSLS or in becoming an associated researcher, please contact us.