Dr Virpi Ylänne

I gained my BA Humanities (Linguistics) from Hatfield, PGCE in TES/FL and MA in Applied Linguistics from University of Wales, Bangor and PhD from University of Wales, Cardiff.

With regard to my research, I was involved in the '˜Language and Tourism as a Global Cultural Industry' strand of the Centre's Leverhulme-funded Language and Global Communication project (2001-2006). During 2004-2007 I co-directed (with Dr Angie Williams) a three year ESRC-funded project on Images of Elders in UK Media: Perceptions and Representations which focused on print media and TV advertising, using Content Analysis and Discourse Analysis of focus group discussions as methods. An edited volume Representing Ageing: Images and Identities (2012, Palgrave Macmillan) followed up some of the themes from the research project. 

I have organised workshops and symposia around this theme, too, at the Sociolinguistics Symposium (2008), the VII European Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Bologna, 2011) and Cultural Gerontology conference (Galway, 2014). I have also carried out collaborative research on community pharmacy interactions from a Discourse Analytic point of view. My current research project examines discourses of parenting at a later age, focusing in the first instance on news media and personal narratives.

As far as my teaching is concerned, I typically contribute to one of the Year 2 core modules, Discourse (SE1362), convene the Year 2 module Language and Gender (SE1403) and the Year 3 module Lifespan Communication (SE1327). At the MA level, I usually conribute to SET012, Qualitative Research Methods.

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I typically contribute to one of the Year 2 core modules, Discourse (SE1362), convene the Year 2 module Language and Gender (SE1403) and the Year 3 module Lifespan Communication (SE1327). At the MA level, I usually contribute to SET012, Qualitative Research Methods and/or to Discourse and Social Interaction.

Postgraduate supervision

I currently supervise doctoral studies on affordances of videoconferencing interactions (by Dorottya Csenge Cserzö); mitigation and facework in Prime Minister's Question Time (Areej Dawood) and media representations of feminist groups (Sophie Payne at Reading University).

In the past I have supervised PhD students on topics such as

'Functional semantic analysis of Yoruba death notices in English' (Dr Ayo Banji, 2003);

'Portraying older age in television advertisements: a comparative study between the UK and Taiwan'™ (Dr Chin-Hui Chen, 2011);

'Older workers' talk: Discursive representations of age, work and retirement identities' (Dr Sheila Gewolb, 2016).

I am particularly interested in receiving PhD proposals from students interested in carrying out research on aspects of age identity and representations of ageing and middle/old age, using qualitative methodologies.

Research interests

My research interests are in discourse and social interaction and discursive representations of age(ing) and lifespan identities. 

My research has concentrated on media representations of older people and ageing and discourses of tourist identities. 

My current research project examines news coverage of older first time parents and personal narratives of parenting at middle age. I am also involved in a project and a recipient (with colleagues) of an ESRC Impact Initiator Award looking at hospital nurse handover sessions.

Postgraduate supervision

I currently supervise doctoral studies on affordances of videoconferencing interactions (by Dorottya Csenge Cserzö); mitigation and facework in Prime Minister's Question Time (Areej Dawood) and media representations of feminist groups (Sophie Payne at Reading University).

In the past I have supervised PhD students on topics such as

'Functional semantic analysis of Yoruba death notices in English' (Dr Ayo Banji, 2003);

'Portraying older age in television advertisements: a comparative study between the UK and Taiwan'™ (Dr Chin-Hui Chen, 2011);

'Older workers' talk: Discursive representations of age, work and retirement identities' (Dr Sheila Gewolb, 2016).

I am particularly interested in receiving PhD proposals from students interested in carrying out research on aspects of age identity and representations of ageing and middle/old age, using qualitative methodologies.

I am a co-recipient of ESRC collaborative PhD funding for a project 'Under-the-radar dynamics of on-ward management and inter-team communication in a Welsh hospital'.  The deadline for applications is 1st February 2018. Please email me or encap-pg@cardiff for further information.