Dr Kieran File

Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Foundations -Discourse analysis -Interactional sociolinguistics -Genre and register variation -Pragmatics and language in use -Professional and institutional communication -Identity construction through language -Language ideologies in high-performance contexts -Language, power, and social structure -Qualitative research methods in linguistics Applied Focus in Sport and Performance Contexts -Language use under pressure -Communication systems in high-performance sport -Team talk and culture building -Interpersonal communication in elite teams -Media discourse and impression management -Language and leadership in sport -Athlete?coach communication -Real-time communication in competitive settings (e.g. radio, huddles, briefings) -Communication training and education in sport -Inclusive and identity-affirming coaching language (e.g. gendered communication in rugby)

Kieran File's research unlocks the power of language in elite sport. His work investigates how professional athletes, coaches, and managers use communication to manage the constraints on communicators in high-performance sports settings, build productive team cultures, manage high-stakes media engagements, and build strong working relationships. From radio communication during live sports events, on-field talk in huddles, half-time team talks, to post-match interviews to behind-the-scenes team talk, Kieran explores the language that shapes outcomes on and off the field. He has collaborated on a range of projects with top-tier sporting organisations, including the Williams Formula 1 Team, the Football Association of Wales, England Boxing, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and professional rugby clubs in New Zealand. Each of these projects explored the role language plays in helping these organisations accomplish their goal-oriented activities in sports competition. Kieran also delivers communication-focused education and workshops to athletes, coaches, and performance staff across a range of high-performance sports, helping them sharpen their communication through greater awareness and strategic use of language. Kieran's current major project is a KTP together with the Rugby Football Union. This project aims to develop and embed knowledge about how language can be used by rugby coaches in ways that women and girls thrive as rugby players. He is also in the early stages of a research project with Manchester United that is being led by colleagues at MMU.