Colleges
Liliia Bespala
BA, MA, PhD
Academic Visitor
I am a British Academy Research Fellow and Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford. With a PhD in Linguistics, my research journey has traversed diverse terrains, initially focusing on language and culture contacts in multicultural settings. However, my extensive experience teaching English and Communication Skills to future healthcare professionals in Ukraine catalyzed a shift in my research interests towards medical discourse and doctor-patient interaction.
Currently, I am privileged to work within the Health behaviours Research Group at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. Here, I apply Conversation and Discourse Analysis to elucidate linguistic patterns in verbal interactions that either facilitate or hinder the smooth delivery of medical advice. My research aims to enhance the quality of communication between clinicians and patients by identifying strategies to mitigate resistance displays, foster compliance with recommendations and treatments, and support shared decision-making.
I am deeply committed to bridging the gap between linguistic theory and practical applications in healthcare communication, striving to contribute meaningful insights to this vital field.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Communication in clinical settings
Conversation analysis
Discourse analysis
Interactional Linguistics
Sociolinguistics