Applied language science for social-ecological change
Services
Learn. Understand. Apply.
Words for Change offers evidence-based learning, language analysis and communication support for people working in complex social-ecological systems.
My work draws on ecology, linguistics and behavioural science to investigate how language shapes meaning and how that understanding can inform more deliberate communication and stewardship.
The two main areas of this work are Language Unearthed, focused on environmental and natural-resource contexts, and Language Untapped, its water-specific application.
Working together
The webinars and workshops have a consistent foundation, with examples and exercises selected to suit the context. More specialised work begins with a discussion of the question, available material, intended outcomes and scope.
If you are interested in one of these approaches, I would welcome a conversation about what you are working on and whether there is a useful fit.
Learn
90-minute webinar
A focused introduction to the language shaping how we understand environmental issues.
Through examples and guided discussion, participants explore how framing, metaphor, values, narrative and other linguistic patterns influence what we notice, how we reason and what responses seem possible.
The session introduces practical ways to recognise these patterns and reflect on their implications for communication and practice.
Available as Language Unearthed or Language Untapped.
Learn
Half-day workshop
A more substantial opportunity to explore the ideas and put them to work.
Participants examine real examples, investigate the assumptions and values carried by familiar language and experiment with alternative frames, explanations and narratives. The workshop includes opportunities to apply these insights to their own environmental or water-related contexts.
The aim is to develop a more conscious, informed and flexible approach to language that participants can carry into their work.
Available as Language Unearthed or Language Untapped.
Understand
Language analysis
Language analysis offers a way to investigate how an issue is being understood, represented and reasoned about.
Drawing on qualitative and computational methods where appropriate, I examine defined bodies of material such as policy documents, stakeholder submissions, research publications, organisational communication or public discourse.
Analysis may focus on framing, metaphor, values, narrative, agency, responsibility and other linguistic features relevant to the question.
Findings can reveal patterns that are difficult to see through ordinary reading, providing a stronger basis for interpretation, communication and further inquiry.
Apply
Reframing and communication
Linguistic insight can also be applied to a defined communication challenge.
A focused working session may involve examining existing language, exploring alternative frames or explanations and considering how different choices shape meaning, agency, responsibility and the possibilities people can imagine.
This work can follow a workshop or language analysis, or begin with a clearly defined question and material supplied in advance. Depending on the scope, it may produce a set of framing options, a message structure or recommendations for further communication development.
Selected research and communication projects
I also undertake selected projects that draw on my experience in environmental research, knowledge translation, communication strategy and professional editing.
These may include research synthesis, the development of evidence-based communication resources or specialist editorial work. I am particularly interested in projects that connect environmental science with the ways people understand, value and act in relation to the natural world.
Language, AI and Change
Supporting thoughtful, values-aligned use of AI to strengthen human judgement, communication and sensemaking in complex change contexts.
Academic editing
I continue to offer professional academic editing for researchers and postgraduate students, particularly in environmental and related disciplines. My work includes substantive and copyediting of theses, journal articles, reports and other research-based material.
