Dr Philip Seargeant

Professional biography

I am an applied linguist, specialising in the relationship between language, politics and social media (philipseargeant.com).

I am founding director and current co-director of the Language, Literature and Politics research group.

Recent books include: 

The Future of Language: How Technology, Politics and Utopianism are Transforming the Way we Communicate

Political activism and the linguistic landscape: Or, how to use Public Space as a Medium for Protest

The Art Of Political Storytelling: Why Stories Win Votes In Post-Truth Politics

Research

My research focuses on:

• Language and social media, with a particular focus on the politics of online interaction. This includes the project Creating Facebook: the management of conflict and the pursuit of online conviviality (with Caroline Tagg). Details of 'context design' can be found here. Findings from this project fed into the evidence we presented to the parliamentary select committee on 'fake news' in 2017/18. (Link to supplementary evidence.)
• English around the world.
• Language and creativity. This includes the project Creativity and politics in the linguistic landscape (with Korina Giaxoglou and Frank Monaghan).
• I was prevoiusly director of the Language and Communication Research group, and before that of the Applied Linguistics and Literacies Research Group. I am on the editorial boards of English Today and World Englishes.

In addition to this I have worked as a consultant for the BBC on a number of programmes, and written for publications such as The New European, The Huffington Post, Times Higher Education, Prospect, The Independent, The Washington Post, OpenDemocracy, The New Statesman and Libération. Please see philipseargeant.com for more details.

Teaching 

I teach language and communication studies, focusing on topics including linguistic creativity, English around the world, and the relationship between language, politics and society. 

I am currently chair of the Level 2 undergaduate module L201. Previously I was chair of L101 An Introduction to English Language Studies, production chair of the undergraduate module E302 Language and Creativity, (winner of a Teaching Excellence Award) and have contributed to A105 Voices, Texts and Material Culture, A150 Voices and Texts, U214 Worlds of English, U211 Exploring the English Language, EA300 Children’s Literature (winner of OU Teaching Award), E854 Investigating Language in Action and EE817 Applied Linguistics and English Language.

I have also authored several award-winning Open Educational Resources. Please see philipseargeant.com for more details.

Publications

Authored books (for full details of books see philipseargeant.com)

Seargeant, P. (2023) The Future of Language: How Technology, Politics and Utopianism are Transforming the Way we Communicate, London: Bloomsbury. 

Seargeant, P. (2023) Political activism and the linguistic landscape: Or, how to use Public Space as a Medium for Protest, Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Seargeant, P. (2023) Crisis Leadership: Boris Johnson and Political Persuasion during the Covid Pandemic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Seargeant, P. (2020) The Art Of Political Storytelling: Why Stories Win Votes In Post-Truth Politics, London: Bloomsbury

Seargeant, P. (2019) The Emoji Revolution: How Technology is Shaping the Future of Communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tagg, C, Seargeant, P. and Brown, A. A. (2017) Taking offence on social media: conviviality and communication on Facebook. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Seargeant, P. and Greenwell, B. (2013) From language to creative writing: an introduction. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Seargeant, P. (2012) Exploring World Englishes: language in a global context. Abingdon: Routledge.

Seargeant, P. (2009) The idea of English in Japan: ideology and the evolution of a global language. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Edited books

Maci, S., Demata, M., McGlashan, M. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2023) The Routledge Handbook of Discourse and Disinformation. Abingdon: Routledge. 

Seargeant, P., Hewings, A. and Pihlaja, S. (eds) (2018) The Routledge handbook of English Language Studies. Abingdon: Routledge.

Demjén, Z. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2016) Creativity in language: From everyday style to verbal art. Milton Keynes: Open University.

Hewings, H., Prescott, L. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2016) Futures for English Studies: Teaching language, literature and creative writing in higher education. Hounslow: Palgrave Macmillan.

Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (eds) (2014) The language of social media: identity and community on the internet. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Erling, E. J. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2013) English and development: policy, pedagogy and globalization. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. 

Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (eds) (2012) English in the world: history, diversity, change. Abingdon: Routledge. Companion website.

Seargeant, P. (ed.) (2011) English in Japan in the era of globalization. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Journal articles

Pan Lin and Seargeant, P. (2023) China English and Chinese culture: A student and teacher perspective, English Today, 39: 3, 174-177.

Seargeant, P. (2021) Obituary: Jan Blommaert (1961–2021), Applied Linguistics Review.

Tagg, C. and Seargeant, P. (2019) Context design and critical language/media awareness: implications for a social digital literacies education, Linguistics and Education, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.100776

Seargeant , P. and Chapman, C. (2019) Using Shakespeare to teach English in the digital age. ELT Journal, 73: 1, pp. 21–30 .

Erling, E. J., Hasan Chowdhury, Q., Solly, M. and Seargeant, P. (2018) ‘Successful’ migration, (English) language skills and global inequality: The case of Bangladeshi migrants to the Middle East, Multilingua, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2018-0021

Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (2018) Social media and the Future of Open Debate: a User-Oriented Approach to Facebook’s Filter Bubble Conundrum, Discourse, Context & Media, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2018.03.005

Seargeant, P. (2017) The symbolism of English on the Brexit battleground. World Englishes, 36: 3, pp. 356–359.

Seargeant , P., Erling, E. J., Solly, M. and Hasan Chowdhury, Q. (2017) The communicative needs of Bangladeshi economic migrants: The functional values of host country languages versus English as a lingua franca. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 6: 1, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2017-0008 

Seargeant , P., Erling, E. J., Solly, M., Hasan Chowdhury, Q. and Rahman, S. (2016) Analysing perceptions of English in rural Bangladesh: insights from postcolonial theory and world Englishes. World Englishes, DOI: 10.1111/weng.12215 

Erling, E. J., Seargeant , P. and Solly, M. (2014) English in rural Bangladesh: How is language education perceived as a resource for development in rural communities? English Today. 30: 4, pp. 15-21.

Hewings, A. and Seargeant, P. (2014) Constructing the discipline: pedagogically-focused knowledge production in English language studies. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning. 29: 2, pp. 131-144.

Tagg, C. and Seargeant, P. (2012) Writing systems at play in Thai-English online interactions. Writing Systems Research. 4: 2, pp. 195-213.

Seargeant, P., Tagg, C. and Ngampramuan, W. (2012) Language choice and addressivity strategies in Thai-English social network interactions. Journal of Sociolinguistics. 16: 4, pp. 510–531.

Pan Lin and Seargeant, P. (2012) Is English threatening Chinese language and culture? English Today. 28: 3, pp. 60-66.

Seargeant, P. (2012) Disciplinarity and the study of world Englishes. World Englishes. 31: 1, pp. 113–129.

Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (2011) English on the internet and a ‘post-varieties’ approach to language. World Englishes. 30: 4, pp. 496–514. 

Seargeant, P. (2011) Lexicography as a philosophy of language. Language Sciences, 33: 1, 1–10.

Seargeant, P. (2010) Naming and defining in World Englishes. World Englishes. 29:1, pp. 99-115.

Seargeant, P. (2010) The historical ontology of language. Language Sciences, 32: 1, pp. 1-13.

Seargeant, P. (2009) Philosophies of language in the fictions of Jorge Luis Borges. Philosophy and Literature. 33: 2, pp. 386-401.

Seargeant, P. (2009) Metaphors of possession in the conceptualisation of language. Language & Communication, 29: 4, pp. 383-393.

Seargeant, P. (2009) Language ideology, language theory, and the regulation of linguistic behaviour. Language Sciences, 31: 4, pp. 345-359.

Seargeant, P. (2009) Ideologies of English in Shakespeare’s Henry V. Language and Literature, 18: 1, pp. 25–44.

Seargeant, P. (2008) Language, ideology and ‘English within a globalized context’. World Englishes, 27: 2, pp. 217-232.

Seargeant, P. (2008) Ideologies of English in Japan: the perspective of policy and pedagogy. Language Policy, 7: 2, pp. 121-142.

Seargeant, P. (2007) Discursive diversity in the textual articulation of epidemic disease in Early Modern England, Language and Literature, 16: 4, pp. 339-360.

Seargeant, P. (2005) ‘More English than England itself’: the simulation of authenticity in foreign language practice in Japan, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15: 3, pp. 326-345.

Seargeant, P. (2005) Globalisation and reconfigured English in Japan, World Englishes, 24: 3, pp. 309-319.

Chapters in books

Maci, S. M., Demata, M., Seargeant, P., and McGlashan, M. (2023) The various dimensions of disinformation: an introduction, in Maci, S. M., Demata, M., Seargeant, P., and McGlashan, M. (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Discourse and Disinformation. Abingdon: Routledge. 

Seargeant, P., Smith, D., and Moore, D. (2023) Citizens’ perspectives on the news media and democracy: a citizens’ panel case study from Wales, in Maci, S. M., Demata, M., Seargeant, P., and McGlashan, M. (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Discourse and Disinformation. Abingdon: Routledge.

Seargeant, P. (2023) Politics and applied linguistics, in Li Wei, Zhu Hua and Simpson, J. (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Volume Two: Applied Linguistics in Action, Abingdon: Routledge.

Seargeant, P., Hamlett, S. and Lambert, C. (2023) Filming linguistics: the use of video in online pedagogy, in Leedham, M., Tagg, C., and Tuck, J. (eds). Online Pedagogy and the Student Experience: Teaching Applied Linguistics and Beyond. London: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill.

Seargeant, P. (2023) Shakespeare and English Language Education, in Bickley, P. and Stevens, J. (eds) Shakespeare, Education and Pedagogy: Representations, Interactions and Adaptations, Abingdon: Routledge.

Seargeant, P. (2022) Complementary concepts of disinformation. In: Demata, M., Zorzi, V. and Zottola, A. (eds) Conspiracy Theory Discourses. Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture, 98. John Benjamins, pp. 193–214.

Seargeant, P. (2020) English in Japan, in Bolton, K. and Kirkpatrick, T. A. (eds) The Handbook of Asian Englishes. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-118-79165-3. (The book was winner of the 2021 PROSE Award in the Language and Linguistics category.)

Seargeant, P. and Giaxoglou, K. (2020) Discourse and the linguistic landscape. In De Fina, A. and Georgakopoulou, A. (eds) Handbook of Discourse Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Seargeant, P. (2020) Social media and self-fashioning: the construction of a political persona from Elizabeth I to Donald J. Trump, in Tagg, C. and Evans, M. (eds) Historicising the Digital: English language practices in new and old media. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

Edwards, A. and Seargeant, P. (2020) Beyond English as a second or foreign language: Local uses and the cultural politics of identification, in Schreier, D., Hundt, M. and Schneider, E. (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of World Englishes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 311-359.

Seargeant, P. (2019) English in Japan in an era of global uncertainty. In Reinders, H., Ryan, S. and Nakamura, S. (eds) Innovation in Language Learning & Teaching: The Case of Japan. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 9-22. 

Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (2018) Critical digital literacy education in the ‘fake news’ era, in Reedy, K. and Parker, J. (eds) Digital literacy unpacked. London: Facet, pp. 179-190.

Seargeant, P., Hewings, A. and Pihlaja, S. (2018) An introduction to English Language Studies, in Seargeant, P., Hewings, A. and Pihlaja, S. (eds) The Routledge handbook of English Language Studies. Abingdon: Routledge , pp. 1-12.

Seargeant, P. (2018) The idea of English, in Seargeant, P., Hewings, A. and Pihlaja, S. (eds) The Routledge handbook of English Language Studies. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 15-27.

Solly, M., Hasan Chowdhury, Q. Erling, E. J. and Seargeant , P. (2017) The role of English in the safety, stability, and resilience of economic migrants from Bangladesh to the Middle East, in Erling, E. J. (ed.) English across the Fracture Lines: the Contribution and Relevance of English to Security, Stability and Peace, London: British Council, pp. 109-114.

Seargeant, P. (2017) Teaching the history of English online: open education and student engagement. In Hayes, M. and Burkette, A. (eds) The Future of the History of the English Language: Pedagogical Practices. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Tagg, C. and Seargeant, P. (2017) Negotiating social roles in semi-public online contexts. In Sirpa Leppänen, P., Kytölä, S., Peuronen, S., Jousmäki, H. and Westinen, E. (eds) Discourse and identification: diversity and heterogeneity in social media practices. Abingdon: Routledge. 

Seargeant, P. (2016) Language and art. In Demjén, Z. and Seargeant, P. (eds) Creativity in language: From everyday style to verbal art. Milton Keynes: Open University. pp. 277-328.

Seargeant, P. (2016) World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca: a changing context for ELT, in Hall, G. (ed) The Routledge handbook of English language teaching. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 13-25.

Prescott, L., Hewings, A. and Seargeant, P. (2016) Introduction, in Hewings, H., Prescott, L. and Seargeant, P. (eds) Futures for English Studies: Teaching language, literature and creative writing in higher education. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-10. 

Hewings, H. and Seargeant, P. (2016) English language studies: a critical appraisal. In Hewings, H., Prescott, L. and Seargeant, P. (eds) Futures for English Studies: Teaching language, literature and creative writing in higher education. Hounslow: Palgrave Macmillan.

Tagg, C. and Seargeant, P. (2015) Facebook and the discursive construction of the social network, in Spilioti, T. and Georgakopoulou, A. (eds) The Routledge handbook of language and digital communication. Abingdon: Routledge.

Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (2014) The language of social media, in Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (eds) The language of social media: identity and community on the internet. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Tagg, C. and Seargeant, P. (2014) Audience design and language choice in the construction and maintenance of translocal communities on social network sites, in Seargeant, P. and Tagg, C. (eds) The language of social media: identity and community on the internet. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

Erling, E. J., Hamid, M. O., and Seargeant, P. (2013) Grassroots attitudes to the positioning of English as a language for international development: Insights from Bangladesh, in Erling, E. J. and Seargeant, P. (eds) English and development: policy, pedagogy and globalization. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Seargeant, P. and Erling, E. J. (2013) English and development in a global world, in Erling, E. J. and Seargeant, P. (eds) English and development: policy, pedagogy and globalization. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Seargeant, P. (2013) Ideologies of nativism and linguistic globalisation, in Houghton, S. and Rivers, D. (eds) Native-speakerism in Japan: intergroup dynamics in foreign language education, pp. 231-242. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Seargeant, P. (2012) Between script and language: the ambiguous ascription of ‘English’ in the linguistic landscape, in Hélot, C., Barni, M., Janssens, R. and Bagna, C. (eds) Linguistic landscapes, multilingualism and social change. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, pp. 187-200.

Seargeant, P. (2012) The politics and policies of global English, in Hewings, A. and Tagg, C. (eds) The politics of English: conflict, competition, coexistence. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 5-32.

Seargeant, P. (2012) Imagining the future of English, in Hewings, A. and Tagg, C. (eds) The politics of English: conflict, competition, coexistence. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 339-346.

Seargeant, P. (2012) Ideologies of English in Shakespeare’s Henry V, in Lee, M. (ed.) Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 144. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, pp. 208-220.

Seargeant, P. (2012) English in the world today, in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (eds) English in the world: history, diversity, change. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 5-35.

Leith, D. and Seargeant, P. (2012) A colonial language, in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (eds) English in the world: history, diversity, change. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 101-135.

Seargeant, P. (2012) English and linguistic globalisation, in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. (eds) English in the world: history, diversity, change. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 178-187.

Seargeant, P. (2011) English in Japan in the era of globalization, in Seargeant, P. (ed.) English in Japan in the era of globalization. Hounslow: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-12.

Seargeant, P. (2011) The symbolic meaning of visual English in the social landscape of Japan, in Seargeant, P. (ed.) English in Japan in the era of globalization, pp. 187-204. Hounslow: Palgrave Macmillan.

Seargeant, P. and Erling, E. J. (2011) The discourse of ‘English as a language for international development’: policy assumptions and practical challenges, in Coleman, H. (ed.) Dreams and realities: developing countries and the English language. London: British Council, pp. 248-267. Available at www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Z413%20EDB%20Section12.pdf

Seargeant, P. (2010) Time, tense and perception in the narrative voice of Bret Easton Ellis’s Lunar Park, in Cook, G. and North, S. (eds) Applied linguistics in action: a reader. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 246-256.

Reports

Seargeant, P. (2023) Tax narratives in public discourse, Unchecked, https://unchecked.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/REPORT_Tax-Narratives-in-Public-Discourse_FINAL.pdf

Moore, D., Seargeant, P. and Smith, D. (2022) Citizens’ Voices, People’s News: Making the Media Work for Wales, OU in Wales and IWA, https://www.open.ac.uk/wales/sites/www.open.ac.uk.wales/files/files/IWA-OU_Citizens-Voice-Peoples-News_ENG.pdf

Erling, E. J., Seargeant , P., Solly, M., Hasan Chowdhury, Q. and Rahman, S. (2012) Attitudes to English as a language for international development in rural Bangladesh. London: British Council. Available at www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/B497%20ELTRP%20Report%20Erling_FINAL.pdf

Erling, E. J., Seargeant , P., Solly, M., Hasan Chowdhury, Q. and Rahman, S. (2015), English for economic development: a case study of migrant workers from Bangladesh. London: British Council. Available at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/english-economic-development-a-case-study-migrant-workers-bangladesh

Book reviews

Seargeant, P. (2020) The existential paradoxes of English: Book review of Ontologies of English: Conceptualising the Language for Learning, Teaching, and Assessment, edited by Christopher J. Hall and Rachel Wicaksono, Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 9: 2, pp. 309-312.

Seargeant, P. (2018) Book review of Multilingual Subjects: On Standard English, Its Speakers, and Others in the Long Eighteenth Century, by Daniel DeWispelare, Journal of British Studies, 57: 3, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jbr.2018.93