Liliia Bespala

I am a British Academy and CARA Fellow, currently an Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford. With a PhD in Linguistics, my early research centred on language and culture contact in multicultural environments. My extensive experience teaching English and communication skills to future healthcare professionals in Ukraine led to a shift in focus towards medical discourse and doctor-patient interaction.

At present, I work within the Health Behaviours Research Group at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. My research employs Conversation and Discourse Analysis to explore how linguistic patterns in clinical communication impact the effective delivery of medical advice. I am particularly interested in strategies that clinicians use to manage resistance, encourage adherence to medical recommendations, and promote shared decision-making.

I am dedicated to bridging linguistic theory and healthcare practice, aiming to contribute valuable insights that enhance communication in clinical settings.