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Dr Robbie Love

Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics Aston University

  • Birmingham

Dr Love uses large language datasets to research how the English language is changing.

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Spotlight

2 min

CorpusCast is the podcast about corpus linguistics and what it can do for society. Join Dr Robbie Love as he speaks with top researchers in the field to find out more about how corpus linguistics – the study of linguistic patterns in large samples of language – is applied to a diverse range of areas including health, social justice and education. To mark the 25th episode and second anniversary in 2024, this episode reflects on the incredible two-year journey, expressing gratitude to exceptional guests and listeners spanning over 30 countries. In this milestone episode, the spotlight is on Professor Lawrence Anthony, the brilliant mind behind AntConc, a widely used and freely available corpus tool. Listeners are invited to join a profound exploration into AntConc's story, development, and its impact on corpus linguistics. Professor Lawrence Anthony, based at Waseda University in Japan, directs the Center for English Language Education in Science and Engineering. With over two decades of expertise in educational technology, natural language processing, and genre analysis, he has been a pioneer in developing educational software for corpus linguistics enthusiasts. Listeners can anticipate a captivating conversation as CorpusCast delves into the world of AntConc, gaining insights into its significance in the field. The third season kicks off with Professor Lawrence Anthony, promising a knowledge-packed episode. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all CorpusCast listeners for their continuous support. Here's to more discoveries, learning, and growth in 2024! Happy New Year, and welcome to another exciting episode of CorpusCast! Dr Robbie Love ? https://bit.ly/3Zcgo36 Professor Laurence Anthony ? https://www.laurenceanthony.net/ Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics ? https://bit.ly/3QKHcSF School of Social Sciences and Humanities ? https://bit.ly/3JCRAd1 Find out more about courses related to this show ? https://bit.ly/3pR705k #corpuslinguistics #BusinessCommunication #AstonUniversity #RobbieLove #MatteoFuoli #SocietalImpact #corpuslinguistics #AntConc #PodcastAnniversary #EducationTechnology

Dr Robbie Love

2 min

The latest episode of the Aston Originals podcast, CorpusCast with Dr Robbie Love, offers listeners a peek into the remarkable evolution of Sketch Engine, the ground-breaking corpus query and management system developed by Lexical Computing. In this episode, Dr Miloš Jakubíček, the CEO of Lexical Computing, takes centre stage to narrate the fascinating journey of Sketch Engine. As an accomplished NLP researcher and software engineer, Dr Jakubíček’s profound expertise in the intersection of corpus linguistics, computational linguistics and lexicography promises to unravel the story behind one of the most widely used and celebrated corpus platforms in existence. For over 20 years, Sketch Engine has been a cornerstone of research in various domains, including lexicography, language learning and, naturally, corpus linguistics. This episode delves into the origins of Sketch Engine, tracing its growth from its inception to its current status as a trusted companion of linguists, researchers and language enthusiasts worldwide. Listeners will get an insider's perspective on the monumental impact of Sketch Engine in processing vast text corpora and deciphering morphologically rich languages. Dr Jakubíček sheds light on the tool's pivotal role in advancing research in these areas, reflecting on its dynamic journey from conception to its position as a game-changing resource for language professionals. Meanwhile Dr Love is thrilled to present this engaging episode, which coincides with the announcement made at the recent Corpus Linguistics Conference. With excitement resonating in his voice, Dr Love shared that Aston University, alongside Birmingham City University and the University of Birmingham, will co-host the upcoming Corpus Linguistics Conference in 2025. This exciting news, revealed during the conference in Lancaster, promises to gather linguists, researchers and enthusiasts in Birmingham for an event that is expected to be a milestone in the world of linguistic exploration. Don't miss out on this riveting episode, where the past, present and future of corpus linguistics converge through the lens of Sketch Engine. Tune in for an enlightening conversation with Dr Miloš Jakubíček, available here and on all major podcast platforms. Dr Robbie Love ? https://bit.ly/3Zcgo36 Dr Miloš Jakubíček ? https://bit.ly/3DHBgWF Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics ? https://bit.ly/3QKHcSF School of Social Sciences and Humanities ? https://bit.ly/3JCRAd1 Find out more about courses related to this show ? https://bit.ly/3pR705k #linguistics #corpuslinguistics #astonuniversity

Dr Robbie Love

2 min

Hello, hello, hello, everyone! Welcome back to Corpuscast, the podcast that brings you the fascinating world of Corpus Linguistics. Can you believe it? We're already on episode 19! Since our launch in January 2022, we've been exploring the incredible impact of Corpus Linguistics on society. And trust me, today's episode is going to blow your mind! As always, I'm your host Robbie Love, a linguist from Aston University. Today, we dive deep into the realm of anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures. Get ready for an engaging discussion on the origins of humanity, the evolution of civilizations, and the incredible diversity that exists across our world. Our special guests for today's episode are none other than Professor Insa Nolte, a leading anthropologist from the University of Birmingham, and Dr. Clyde Ancarno, a brilliant corpus linguist and senior lecturer in Applied Linguistics and Education at King's College London. Together, Insa and Clyde collaborated on a groundbreaking research project in Southwest Nigeria, exploring how members of different religious groups coexist peacefully. Their findings shed light on the intricate social structures that maintain harmony within diverse communities. Join us as we delve into the thought-provoking questions that shape our understanding of humanity. Who are we and where do we come from? How have civilizations transformed throughout history? What factors contribute to the functioning of our societies? This captivating conversation will unveil the incredible insights brought forth by Corpus Linguistics and its intersection with anthropology. Discover how language and culture intertwine to shape our identities and communities. Don't miss out on this enriching episode! Tune in to Corpuscast below, and let's embark on this captivating journey together. Subscribe to Corpuscast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, for more thought-provoking episodes exploring the boundless possibilities of Corpus Linguistics in education, health, technology, and beyond. Stay curious, stay inspired! ? #Corpuscast #Anthropology #CorpusLinguistics #Humanity #Culture #Diversity #Podcast #LanguageResearch

Dr Robbie Love

Media

Social

Biography

Dr Love is a Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics in the Department of Communication and Culture at Aston University. He specialises in corpus linguistics - the use of computational techniques to study patterns and trends in large samples of language data.

He has published research on topics including English grammar, spoken communication, language change, sociolinguistics, and swearing, and has provided expert linguistic consultancy for clients including the Crown Prosecution Service, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and the National Trust. In addition, he sits on the Executive Committee of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL).

He is host of the Aston Originals podcast CorpusCast and regularly provides media comment on topics relating to the English language.

As Associate Dean Education and Student Experience in the School of Law and Social Sciences, Dr Love has a broader professional interest in advocating for social sciences and humanities disciplines in Higher Education.

Areas of Expertise

English Language
Linguistics
Corpus Linguistics
Words
Language Change‎
English Grammar
Swearing
British English

Accomplishments

Nominee, Aston Students’ Union Academic Award for Teaching – Engagement

2021

Nominee, Aston Students’ Union Academic Award for Online Learning

2021

Winner, Aston University College of Business and Social Sciences Staff Award for Best Newcomer

2021

Education

Adobe

Adobe Education Institute Fellow

2024

Digital Learning Institute

Specialist Certificate in AI for Learning (CDLS)

2023

Lancaster University

BA

2013

Affiliations

  • British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL): Executive Committee, 2021-2023; 2024-present
  • Fellow, Advance HE (FHEA): 2021-present

Media Appearances

Rage bait, goblin mode … do words of the year have any real value?

The Guardian  online

2025-12-31

Robbie Love, a sociolinguist based at Aston University, in Birmingham, says that the lexicographers behind the selections are themselves aware that it is not an “entirely objective, scientific process”, otherwise “you [would] find the same words … they all will ensure that they’re different”.

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When did swearing in Britain stop being taboo?

The Telegraph  online

2025-09-28

A recent study by Dr Robbie Love, a linguistics lecturer at Aston University in Birmingham, found that the amount of swearing in everyday conversation actually fell by 27.6 per cent from the 1990s to 2010s, with the biggest drop among working-class speakers.

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Swearing is becoming more widely acceptable, language experts say after blizzard of curse words on Radio Four's flagship Today programme

Daily Mail  online

2024-01-06

Dr Robbie Love, from Aston University in Birmingham, said: 'Swearing, as with all language use, is entirely context dependent and context specific,' The Guardian reported.

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Articles

Swearing in informal spoken English: 1990s–2010s

Text & Talk

2021

This paper investigates changes in swearing usage in informal speech using large-scale corpus data, comparing the occurrence and social distribution of swear words in two corpora of informal spoken British English: the demographically-sampled part of the Spoken British National Corpus 1994 (BNC1994) and the Spoken British National Corpus 2014 (BNC2014); the compilation of the latter has facilitated large-scale, diachronic analyses of authentic spoken data on a scale which has, until now, not been possible. A form and frequency analysis of a set of 16 ‘pure’ swear word lemma forms is presented. The findings reveal that swearing occurrence is significantly lower in the Spoken BNC2014 but still within a comparable range to previous studies. Furthermore, FUCK is found to overtake BLOODY as the most popular swear word lemma. Finally, the social distribution of swearing across gender and age groups generally supports the findings of previous research: males still swear more than females, and swearing still peaks in the twenties and declines thereafter. However, the distribution of swearing according to socio-economic status is found to be more complex than expected in the 2010s and requires further investigation. This paper also reflects on some of the methodological challenges associated with making comparisons between the two corpora.

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Corpus-pragmatic perspectives on the contemporary weakening of fuck: The case of teenage British English conversation

Journal of Pragmatics

2023

This study examines the pragmatic functions of fuck among British English teenagers in casual conversation in two youth language corpora from the 1990s and 2010s. It applies a corpus-pragmatics approach to explore how the ongoing weakening of the taboo strength of fuck in the perception of young speakers is realised in usage data. The major functions observed involve a predominance of idiomatic, emphatic and emotionally expressive functions. Conversely, usage associated with potentially abusive functions, including literal reference to sexual intercourse, is infrequent. Our observations are interpreted in the context of delexicalization and related long-term diachronic processes, whereby contemporary usage of fuck among teenagers is characterised in terms of semi-delexicalized, pragmatically strengthened usage with weakened taboo status. The article also evaluates the interpretation of idiomatic usage from a functional perspective, and contributes to methodological considerations of the use of spoken corpora for pragmatic research.

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