balloons breaching airspace Ukraine ministers Prince Andrew King & Pope Constitutional Court What has happened in your lives?!
Do we have a linguistic fingerprint?
How unique is our speech and writing? Could you tell if a message wasn't really from your friend ?
Fingerprints are:
(Lyle 2009: 105-118)
- Unique/individual:
not even identical twins have same fingerprints
- Indelible:
do not change over lifetime
- General patterns:
loop (~60–65%) / whorl (~30–35%) / arch (~5%)
- One variable that is not under the individual’s control
- What about language?
#idiolect
#dialect
#sociolect
Linguistic Fingerprint?
ideolect dialect sociolect
- Language maybe innate (Chomsky), but:
- speakers do have an idiolect, but also:
- regional dialect, sociolect, speak like their peers, …
- education leads to (written) norms
- some linguistic features = genre-specific
- individuals (subconsciously) choose style dependent on:
topic, social relationships, situation, their intention… So, like a fingerprint? Language = choice or subconscious choice
Sarah
15 Feb
Sarah left around 9pm
Expected at Mike (her boyfriend's) place
Café with friends
Mike's place
You will see two sets of text messages. One set is from Sarah on 15 February and the other set was received on the 16th.
When the police checked Sarah's flat, she wasn’t there. A day later, she still hadn’t been tracked down.
Look at the features of language. Do you think the second message has been written by Sarah? What's your evidence?
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Title 2
Title
Title 3
Title
15 February
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
16 February
Write a brief description here
Messages sent
Messages sent
Notice
features
ellipsis (missing out the subject)
sign off with xx
complex sentence/s
abbreviations
punctuation
Features
non-standard, deviant spellings
full sentences
contractions
no salutations
capital letters
apostrophes
forensic
forensic linguistics
linguistics
forensic
linguistics
Forensic Linguistics
- Application of linguistics to legal (criminal) contexts
- Analysis of written and spoken evidence
- Authorship, plagiarism, disputed meanings (hate speech online)
- Focus on grammar, vocabulary, style, tone
- Used in investigations, court cases, disputes
- Studies language in police and courtroom settings
- Aims to ensure justice and fair communication
No single linguistic fingerprint, but
“The essence of authorship analysis is the formation of a set of features, or metrics, that remain relatively constant for a large number of writings created by the same person. In other words, a set of writings from one author would exhibit greater similarity in terms of these features than a set of writings from different authors.”
(Zheng et al. 2003: 61)
What could have happened to Sarah?
Sarah was found safe and sound. She had decided to stay at Rachel's flat instead and had asked Rachel to write the message for her. Sarah and Mike soon split up :(
Conducting
authorship
analysis of texts
Work together to solve a case
THE SCENARIO
and some vocab first
In the fictional town of Bufton‐on‐the-Worrel, local residents have been in uproar over the opening of a new supermarket. The local council, in the face of strong opposition, has allowed Frescos supermarket to open a shop in the town centre, and this has led to a campaign of intimidation and violence from some outraged protesters, including the smashing of the shop's windows and threats to members of the local council, including a threatening letter to Councillor Burrows, the leader of Bufton-on-the-Worrel’s council. The local police have arrested three members of the 'No Go Frescos' campaign group and called in a forensic linguist to work out which of these three suspects might be responsible for the death threat sent to Councillor Burrows.
- to come out in a rash
- to exacerbate a problem
- urban sprawl
- to thrive
- to have deleterious effects
- to plough on with sthg
- to be rapacious
- to clog sthg
Your task as a forensic linguist: Identify the guilty party from the three suspects arrested by the police.
You need to be able to give evidence to support your identification. You need to be able to spot at least three separate and specific language clues to work out who might be responsible. You cannot just assume that if it sounds a bit like someone that it has to be them. You need evidence that will stand up in court, not just a hunch!
Be ready to explain your rationale
language
features
video
video
video
FIRST,
analyse the letter
tone & style
Compare the published letter with the 3 unedited letters written by the 3 suspects
The threatening letter sent to the home of Councillor Billy Burrows
Dear Councillor Burrows For what you have done to this town, you really ought to be shot. For many years now, the people in this town have made use of their local shops and facilities without the need for a branch of the global destroyer that is Frescos supermarket. Frescos is a chain that has spread across the country like an unpleasant rash. And like an unpleasant rash, it starts by causing mild irritation and occasional discomfort before taking over the whole affected area and leading to intense pain and suffering. This is the situation in which the local shopkeepers, tradesmen and residents find themselves today. Frescos has taken over the whole of the town centre, damaging local businesses and causing at least three local butchers and bakers to close down. It has clogged up the roads of the town like fatty food clogging the arteries of an unhealthy man. And it has led to the insufferable late night disturbances of delivery lorries making an infernal racket into the small hours and in the early morning. I warn you now that the recent attacks on the new Frescos supermarket are just the beginning of a much wider campaign. You have joined forces with this rapacious and unprincipled company, have trousered their cash and must now pay the price. Councillor Burrows, prepare to meet thy maker!
The unedited letters sent to the local newspaper (sic)
Dear Editor I am writing to express my extreme disappointment over the opening of a new Frescos store in Bufton on the Worrel. For many years, this town has had a number of thriving local businesses, run by local people and supplying the local community. The decision to locate a store as large as Frescos in the town will surely cause several of the smaller local establishments to close down, as well as subsequent problems to other local businesses. And this is exacerbated by the deleterious effect of increased traffic, caused by deliveries to the supermarket. Many of us live in Bufton because it is not like the urban sprawls of Dudley and Coventry, yet here we are, allowing the Frescos chain to turn our town into such a mess. What is particularly disappointing is the role of the local council who have not listened to the concerns of local residents and instead ploughed on with their own agenda. They shall be held to account for this. Let this be a warning. Yours Max Headstrong
Dear Editor, I would like to write to complain about the new Fresco’s supermarket opening in our beautiful town. I am amazed that the Council would let this chain open a shop in our town: the affect on our local shops will be terrible and we will all suffer as a result. Were we consulted about this? No, we were not. Are we happy out this decision? No we are not. The councillors responsible should be ashamed of themselves! Yours, Miranda Gyimah
Dear Editor I am writing to make clear my very strong objections to the arrival of a Frescos supermarket branch in our town centre. This supermarket has branches all over the country and is rapidly spreading into every corner of our lives. To allow a branch to open here is a terrible mistake. The impact on local tradesmen and shopkeepers will be appalling and we will all suffer as a result of this outrageous decision. As a town, we ought to be up in arms about this decision which has bypassed local democracy and trampled all over our rights. The local council has not heard the last of this unprincipled move to impose its will upon us. Yours Denzil O’Connor
Provide an argument on
being a forensic linguist
What time is it?
It's quiz time!
Let's go!
Question 1
Which word matches this definition?
Question 2
Choose the correct response
Question 3
Which word matches this definition?
Question 4
Which word matches this definition?
Question 5
Which word matches this definition?
Question 6
Question 7
Question 8
SOURCES
- BBC Radio 4. (2019, January 29). Solving crime with forensic linguistics [Audio podcast episode]. In Word of Mouth. https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/m00027n6
- Hoffmann, T. (2014, May 28). Do we have a linguistic fingerprint? Applications and limits of forensic linguistics [Conference presentation]. University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
- Olsson, J. (2012). Wordcrime: Solving Crime Through Forensic Linguistics. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Priestley College. (n.d.). English Language with Forensic Linguistics: An introduction. https://virtual.priestley.ac.uk/resource/analysing-language-introduction-to-as-and-a-level-english-language-with-forensic-linguistics/
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Transcript
balloons breaching airspace Ukraine ministers Prince Andrew King & Pope Constitutional Court What has happened in your lives?!
Do we have a linguistic fingerprint?
How unique is our speech and writing? Could you tell if a message wasn't really from your friend ?
Fingerprints are:
(Lyle 2009: 105-118)
#idiolect
#dialect
#sociolect
Linguistic Fingerprint?
ideolect dialect sociolect
- speakers do have an idiolect, but also:
- regional dialect, sociolect, speak like their peers, …
- education leads to (written) norms
- some linguistic features = genre-specific
- individuals (subconsciously) choose style dependent on:
topic, social relationships, situation, their intention… So, like a fingerprint? Language = choice or subconscious choiceSarah
15 Feb
Sarah left around 9pm
Expected at Mike (her boyfriend's) place
Café with friends
Mike's place
You will see two sets of text messages. One set is from Sarah on 15 February and the other set was received on the 16th.
When the police checked Sarah's flat, she wasn’t there. A day later, she still hadn’t been tracked down.
Look at the features of language. Do you think the second message has been written by Sarah? What's your evidence?
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Title 2
Title
Title 3
Title
15 February
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
Write a brief description here
16 February
Write a brief description here
Messages sent
Messages sent
Notice
features
ellipsis (missing out the subject)
sign off with xx
complex sentence/s
abbreviations
punctuation
Features
non-standard, deviant spellings
full sentences
contractions
no salutations
capital letters
apostrophes
forensic
forensic linguistics
linguistics
forensic
linguistics
Forensic Linguistics
No single linguistic fingerprint, but
“The essence of authorship analysis is the formation of a set of features, or metrics, that remain relatively constant for a large number of writings created by the same person. In other words, a set of writings from one author would exhibit greater similarity in terms of these features than a set of writings from different authors.”
(Zheng et al. 2003: 61)
What could have happened to Sarah?
Sarah was found safe and sound. She had decided to stay at Rachel's flat instead and had asked Rachel to write the message for her. Sarah and Mike soon split up :(
Conducting
authorship
analysis of texts
Work together to solve a case
THE SCENARIO
and some vocab first
In the fictional town of Bufton‐on‐the-Worrel, local residents have been in uproar over the opening of a new supermarket. The local council, in the face of strong opposition, has allowed Frescos supermarket to open a shop in the town centre, and this has led to a campaign of intimidation and violence from some outraged protesters, including the smashing of the shop's windows and threats to members of the local council, including a threatening letter to Councillor Burrows, the leader of Bufton-on-the-Worrel’s council. The local police have arrested three members of the 'No Go Frescos' campaign group and called in a forensic linguist to work out which of these three suspects might be responsible for the death threat sent to Councillor Burrows.
Your task as a forensic linguist: Identify the guilty party from the three suspects arrested by the police.
You need to be able to give evidence to support your identification. You need to be able to spot at least three separate and specific language clues to work out who might be responsible. You cannot just assume that if it sounds a bit like someone that it has to be them. You need evidence that will stand up in court, not just a hunch!
Be ready to explain your rationale
language
features
video
video
video
FIRST,
analyse the letter
tone & style
Compare the published letter with the 3 unedited letters written by the 3 suspects
The threatening letter sent to the home of Councillor Billy Burrows
Dear Councillor Burrows For what you have done to this town, you really ought to be shot. For many years now, the people in this town have made use of their local shops and facilities without the need for a branch of the global destroyer that is Frescos supermarket. Frescos is a chain that has spread across the country like an unpleasant rash. And like an unpleasant rash, it starts by causing mild irritation and occasional discomfort before taking over the whole affected area and leading to intense pain and suffering. This is the situation in which the local shopkeepers, tradesmen and residents find themselves today. Frescos has taken over the whole of the town centre, damaging local businesses and causing at least three local butchers and bakers to close down. It has clogged up the roads of the town like fatty food clogging the arteries of an unhealthy man. And it has led to the insufferable late night disturbances of delivery lorries making an infernal racket into the small hours and in the early morning. I warn you now that the recent attacks on the new Frescos supermarket are just the beginning of a much wider campaign. You have joined forces with this rapacious and unprincipled company, have trousered their cash and must now pay the price. Councillor Burrows, prepare to meet thy maker!
The unedited letters sent to the local newspaper (sic)
Dear Editor I am writing to express my extreme disappointment over the opening of a new Frescos store in Bufton on the Worrel. For many years, this town has had a number of thriving local businesses, run by local people and supplying the local community. The decision to locate a store as large as Frescos in the town will surely cause several of the smaller local establishments to close down, as well as subsequent problems to other local businesses. And this is exacerbated by the deleterious effect of increased traffic, caused by deliveries to the supermarket. Many of us live in Bufton because it is not like the urban sprawls of Dudley and Coventry, yet here we are, allowing the Frescos chain to turn our town into such a mess. What is particularly disappointing is the role of the local council who have not listened to the concerns of local residents and instead ploughed on with their own agenda. They shall be held to account for this. Let this be a warning. Yours Max Headstrong
Dear Editor, I would like to write to complain about the new Fresco’s supermarket opening in our beautiful town. I am amazed that the Council would let this chain open a shop in our town: the affect on our local shops will be terrible and we will all suffer as a result. Were we consulted about this? No, we were not. Are we happy out this decision? No we are not. The councillors responsible should be ashamed of themselves! Yours, Miranda Gyimah
Dear Editor I am writing to make clear my very strong objections to the arrival of a Frescos supermarket branch in our town centre. This supermarket has branches all over the country and is rapidly spreading into every corner of our lives. To allow a branch to open here is a terrible mistake. The impact on local tradesmen and shopkeepers will be appalling and we will all suffer as a result of this outrageous decision. As a town, we ought to be up in arms about this decision which has bypassed local democracy and trampled all over our rights. The local council has not heard the last of this unprincipled move to impose its will upon us. Yours Denzil O’Connor
Provide an argument on
being a forensic linguist
What time is it?
It's quiz time!
Let's go!
Question 1
Which word matches this definition?
Question 2
Choose the correct response
Question 3
Which word matches this definition?
Question 4
Which word matches this definition?
Question 5
Which word matches this definition?
Question 6
Question 7
Question 8
SOURCES
25%
Leave your audience speechless with interactivity.
75%
You can add text, emojis, GIFs, videos, tables, and much more.