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Caroline Tagg

Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and English Language, The Open University

I began my current post at the Open University in October 2015. Prior to that, I worked for four years at the University of Birmingham as a lecturer and, before that, I held another post for two years at the Open University. I gained my PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2009, with a thesis titled 'A corpus analysis of SMS text messaging'. I have an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from Leicester University, which I completed in 2005. I previously worked as a TESOL teacher in Spain, and then in Vietnam with the British voluntary organisation, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

My research interests are in language and social media, including multilingualism, audience design, and online language play, with a focus on text messaging (and, more recently WhatsApp) and Facebook. I am currently working on the AHRC-funded research project headed by Professor Angela Creese, 'Translation and Translanguaging' in which I am responsible for coordinating the collection and analysis of social media data. I have authored two books (The Discourse of Text Messaging, Continuum 2012; and Exploring Digital Communication, Routledge 2015) and I have co-edited a further two books (The Politics of English, with Ann Hewings, Routledge 2012; and The Language of Social Media, with Philip Seargeant, Palgrave 2014).

The real reason you can't quit Facebook? Maybe it's because you can judge your friends

Jul 12, 2017 19:02 pm UTC| Technology

Facebook recently announced that it now has over 2 billion monthly users. This makes its population larger than that of China, the US, Mexico and Japan combined. Its popularity, and with it the influence it has in society,...

US Election Series

The filter bubble isn't just Facebook's fault -- it's yours

Dec 06, 2016 07:43 am UTC| Technology Politics

Following the shock results of Brexit and the Trump victory, a lot of attention has focused on the role that Facebook might have played in creating online political ghettos in which false news can easily spread. Facebook...

Economy

US Plans $1.6 Billion Investment in USA Rare Earth to Boost Domestic Critical Minerals Supply

The United States government is preparing to invest $1.6 billion in Oklahoma-based miner USA Rare Earth, securing a 10% ownership stake as part of a broader strategy to strengthen domestic production of critical minerals...

Japan Signals Readiness to Act as Yen Volatility Raises Intervention Concerns

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Sunday that the government is prepared to take necessary steps against speculative or abnormal market movements, following heightened volatility in the yen that has fueled...

Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on Canada Over China Trade Ties, Escalating U.S.-Canada Tensions

U.S.-Canada trade tensions have escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada proceeds with closer trade cooperation with China. In a series of posts on...

Russian Stocks Close Flat at Three-Month High as Commodities Rally and Ruble Strengthens

Russian stocks ended Saturdays trading session mostly lower, with declines outweighing gains across the Moscow Exchange, although the benchmark MOEX Russia Index managed to close unchanged and secure a fresh three-month...

Dollar Slides as NY Fed Rate Checks Spark Yen Intervention Speculation

The U.S. dollar weakened sharply against the Japanese yen on Friday after the New York Federal Reserve conducted rate checks on the dollar/yen currency pair, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters....

Politics

Fatal Immigration Enforcement Shootings Intensify Scrutiny of Trump Crackdown

The fatal shooting of a man in Minneapolis on Saturday has heightened national scrutiny of U.S. President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration enforcement strategy, as the death toll linked to federal immigration actions...

Melania Trump Film Gets Private White House Screening Ahead of Global Release

First Lady Melania Trump hosted a private White House screening of her new documentary film, Melania, on Saturday, offering an intimate look into her life during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trumps second...

Myanmar Election 2026 Draws Criticism as Military-Backed Party Tightens Grip on Power

Polling stations across Myanmar opened on Sunday for the final phase of a controversial general election held amid ongoing civil war and political repression. The vote, widely criticised by the United Nations, Western...

WHO Expresses Regret Over U.S. Withdrawal and Urges Return to Global Health Cooperation

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed regret following the official withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations health agency, emphasizing its hope that Washington will resume active participation...

Syria Extends Ceasefire With Kurdish Forces Amid Rising Tensions

A fragile ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been extended by 15 days, offering temporary relief amid escalating tensions in northern and eastern Syria. The original...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are calling for closer congressional scrutiny of a new deal involving TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, raising fresh concerns about national security, data privacy, and potential Chinese...

Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market

Swedens telecom equipment giant Ericsson announced plans to significantly boost shareholder returns after reporting a sharp rise in net cash and continued margin improvements, even as the global mobile network market...

Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has fully restored access to its Microsoft 365 productivity suite following a widespread service outage that disrupted users across multiple regions, particularly in North America. The...

Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance

Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is set to become more expensive over time as its technology improves, according to CEO Elon Musk. The announcement comes as Tesla Inc. continues its transition away from a one-time...

ByteDance Finalizes Majority U.S.-Owned TikTok Joint Venture to Avert American Ban

TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has finalized a landmark agreement to establish a majority American-owned joint venture aimed at safeguarding U.S. user data and avoiding a nationwide ban on the popular...