Dr Daniel Weston

My current research project is a discourse analytical exploration of the admissions interview at the University of Cambridge. The admissions interview has frequently been the target of both speculation and opprobrium, especially from journalists concerned with issues of social justice. Until now, however, there has been no systematic analysis of the interview that might determine what the interactional nature of this event actually is. This project addresses this point directly. It attempts to determine what discourse roles participants (interviewer and candidate) orient to, and how these roles are oriented to differently by candidates from dissimilar social and academic backgrounds. It is hoped the results of this project will be of interest not just to academics working within linguistics and educational studies, but also to students applying to the University of Cambridge, and the wider public.