Professor Lorraine Leeson

Lorraine Leeson is Professor in Deaf Studies at the Centre for Deaf Studies, and Associate Vice Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (2021-). She previously served as Associate Dean of Research (2018-2021). Her research work is multidisciplinary in nature, influenced by her background in Deaf Studies, Gender Studies and Linguistics. She has published widely on aspects of the linguistics and applied linguistics of signed languages with a specific interest in Irish Sign Language and in the area of sign language interpreting. Her doctoral work was the first to examine aspects of the morphosyntax of Irish Sign Language, and subsequent to this, she has published and lectured widely on aspects of the grammar of Irish Sign Language, and in the area of signed language/spoken language interpreting. Lorraine was a member of the first cohort of professionally trained Irish Sign Language/English interpreters in Ireland, and she continues to interpret occasionally. She has engaged in pan-European research work with academic institutions, Deaf communities and interpreting organisations for over two decades. Recent projects include: - Promoting Excellence in Sign Language Instruction (funded by the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) 2015-18. See: http://www.ecml.at/ECML-Programme/Programme2016-2019/SignLanguageInstruction/tabid/1856/language/en-GB/Default.aspx, - the DESIGNS project, which focused on Deaf peoples' access to employment (Erasmus+). See: http://designsproject.eu - the European Commission funded Justisigns Project (access to justice across several EU member states) (completed 2016), which examined deaf peoples' access to police services, and which was awarded a European Language Label Award in 2017. Lorraine also led the PRO-Signs (funded by the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML)) which looked at the teaching, learning and assessment of signed languages for professional purposes with collaboration from over 30 countries across Europe. See: http://www.ecml.at/F5/tabid/867/Default.aspx (Completed 2015). She is currently working on a number of projects including: * Justisigns 2, a European Commission funded project that seeks to improve access to services for deaf, migrant and refugee women who experience gender based violence. (2020-2022) * SignON, a Horizon 2020 funded project that seeks to develop the quality of machine translation for sign language (MTSL), driven by a co-creation methodology that places deaf community engagement as central to the project's goals. As part of this project, Rachel Moiselle is working on a PhD project on depiction in Irish Sign Language. This project work is managed via the ADAPT SFI Centre. (2021-2024) * TORCH - Towards Open Responsible Research and Innovation through CHARM-EU is a Horizon 2020 SwafS support action funded project that seeks to develop the research framework for the CHARM-EU European University Alliance. Cross cutting focal points of this project are Open Science (Open Scholarship), Research Integrity, and the fostering of transdisciplinary and intercultural work.(2021-2024) Recent publications include "Sign Language in Action" with Jemina Napier (2016), "Interpreting and the Politics of Recognition", co-edited with Christopher Stone (2018), and, most recently, a special issue of the journal, Teanga, on Irish Sign Language (2020).

  Bilingual/Bicultural Education   cognitive linguistics   Deaf Studies   E-Learning   interpreting studies   Irish Sign Language   Language acquisition   Language Policy   modality and language   Morpho-syntax of signed languages   Signed Languages

My research spans three domains: (1) linguistics & applied linguistics of sign languages (SLs), (2) interpreting studies (IS), & (3) trans-disciplinary work that impacts on deaf studies topics. As a student, I found just one paper published on Irish Sign Language (ISL) & very little empirical work on SLI or sign language teaching and learning (SLT&L). Across my career, I have focused on changing this by promoting a culture of empirical research, by documenting aspects of ISL, & aspects of interpretation. I am particularly adept at navigating the space between linguistic research and applied practices. At Trinity, I have led the development of a cohort of researchers working on ISL using Grounded Theory (GT) methodologies. My linguistics work includes analyses of the morpho-syntax & semantics of ISL, & sociolinguistic issues associated with ISL use. Cognitive linguistics work has focused on the role of gesture, the role of metaphor & metonymy in ISL, & simultaneity in SLs. Much of my data comes from the "Signs of Ireland" corpus, which I spearheaded in 2004. This has facilitated significant description of aspects of ISL by myself and others. My IS research explores provision of interpreters in a range of domains. One current project marries work from cognitive linguistics, gesture studies and IS (with Terry Janzen and Barbara Shaffer), investigating how simultaneous interpreters of spoken & signed languages conceptualise events. Another considers interpreting in settings where gender based violence is addressed (Justisigns 2). I have also developed a GT of interpreting interaction, "Effortful Engagement", which has fed into analysis of interpreting in a range of settings. It is the first to consider the work required of all stakeholders in interpreted interaction (most look only at the cognitive efforts of the interpreter). I have been invited to present on this work around the world, presenting keynote addresses in Brazil, the USA, Australia & New Zealand. My applied linguistics work includes significant engagement at European level. I am a European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML)/Council of Europe (COE) expert on SLs. I have examined aspects of the teaching, learning and assessment of SLs for professional purposes (PRO-Sign 1 & 2). This work underpinned a critical body of cross-European empirical applied sign linguistics research, led to a series of international conferences, & to the addition of SLs as a focus for the ECML in their work. I served as a consultant to the COE on the development of the modality inclusive Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - Companion Volume (CEFR-CV) (2020), which, for the first time, presents descriptors of competence for both spoken and signed languages. This segues with research around SL policy in Europe, theorising around how adult learners of SL navigate the process, and how SL teachers respond to their learners. In 2013, I spearheaded the development of a corpus of adult second language, second modality (M2L2) ISL learners. This is one of the first such corpora in the world, and was built as a parallel corpus (Swedish Sign Language is the other language) with colleagues from Stockholm University. Nationally, my work has fed into the conversation around the legal status of ISL (ISL Act 2017), the development of a register for ISL SLIs and research led curricula. At European level, my work has directly influenced the establishment of core competencies for SLIs & SL teachers, & the development of a modality inclusive CEFR. As a result of this work, I am frequently invited to advise NGOs, universities and governmental bodies at home and around the world on issues relating to my domains of expertise.