Jacopo Castaldi

Lecturer in the Centre for Language and Linguistics and Course Co-Director for the PhD Preparation Programme and the Pre-Masters Diploma.

I am a Lecturer in the Centre for Language and Linguistics, where I teach on a variety of courses from Foundation level to BA, MA and PhD supervision. I am also the Course Co-Director for our PhD Preparation Programme and our Pre-Masters Diploma.

After working in the TEFL industry for over 10 years, in 2018 I was awarded a full-time scholarship from Canterbury Christ Church University to pursue a PhD in Applied Linguistics, which I completed in 2022. I also hold a BA in Translation Studies from the University of Naples “L’Orientale”, a MSc in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and Postgraduate Diplomas in ELT and ELT Management.

My main research interests are Critical Discourse Studies, Multimodality, mass-mediated communication, and the semiotic and cognitive aspects of manipulation. I focus on the interactive experiences of audiences and on meaning interpretation. I hold the status as Active Independent Research, with Significant Responsibility for Independent Research.

I have worked at CCCU since January 2019, teaching on a number of course at Foundation and BA levels, not only in Linguistics, but also in the Arts & Humanities and in Education. Since September 2022 I have been a permanent member of staff in the Centre for Language and Linguistics.

In my permanent role I lecture on several programmes, from Pre-sessional and Foundation programmes to our BA in English Language and Linguistics and our MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. I also co-supervise PhD students in the field of TESOL, Critical Discourse Studies and Multimodality. I am presently the Course Co-Director for the PhD Preparation Programme and the Pre-Masters Diploma.

At CCCU I have taught and lectured on a number of programmes including our BA in English Language and Linguistics (primarily in the areas of Sociolinguistics, Critical Discourse Analysis, Digital Communication and Multimodality), the BA in Media and Communications (Contemporary Media Debates), the MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Pre-Sessional Programme in Academic English and Research Skills for PhD Students, Foundation Programmes (International, Arts & Humanities and Education), Teacher Training Programmes and General English Programmes. Prior to joining CCCU I worked in the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) industry for over 10 years, working as teacher, teacher trainer, Director of Studies and Principal.

"My main research interests are Critical Discourse Studies, Multimodality, mass-mediated communication, and the semiotic and cognitive aspects of manipulation. I work at the intersection between linguistics, multimodality, cognition and media studies and I focus on the interactive experiences of audiences and on meaning interpretation.

My ongoing research proposes the integration of Audience Research in Multimodal Critical Discourse Studies in order to investigate how ideologies are negotiated between individuals and media texts. The title of my PhD is: “Cognition and ideological effects in the interaction between viewers and BBC travel documentaries: Combining multimodal critical discourse analysis and audience research”. My research builds on the assumption that multimodal semiosis is infused with ideologies, as the choice of signs is always motivated. Moreover, my approach takes a narrow reading of Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, where ideological dissemination is seen as the work of civil society, rather than political society, and therefore focuses on the mass-mediated genres. The approach, however, acknowledges the agentive role of the individual in ideology formation and aims to shed some light on the whole process of the mass-mediated, multimodal struggle to conquer the ideological terrain, from reception to production, through distribution.

At CCCU I hold the status as Active Independent Research, with Significant Responsibility for Independent Research.

Research Projects

A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of China-related Covers in The Economist (2010-2020): An Investigation of People's Perceptions of China. Researcher(s): Ms Cunjie Li. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
An Analysis of the EFL Learning Beliefs of Engineering Students in China's Application-Oriented Universities. Researcher(s): LADY Ying Wang. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Kevin Balchin. [Postgraduate Research Project]
An Exploration of the Academic Lived experiences of Algerian PhD students within a British University.. Researcher(s): Mrs Soumia Abdelli. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
An investigation into multimodal representation of the concept of ‘happiness’ in Real Estate marketing materials in three linguacultural areas: Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Slavic.. Researcher(s): Mrs Elena McCaffrey. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
An Investigation of the China English Cultural Lexicon in China English Websites. Researcher(s): Ms Dandan Liu. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Application of discourse analysis approach to the teaching of listening skills in Chinese High School International EFL classes. Researcher(s): Miss Yue Yang. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Comparisons between Outsider-and Insider- Media Representations of China: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Articles from Chaguan Column in The Economist and a Chinese External News Website Sixth Tone. Researcher(s): Ms Yanqing Liu. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Christopher Anderson. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Curriculum Development of Parent-Child English Activities Based on Traditional Chinese Festival Culture (TCFC).. Researcher(s): Ms Qiuting Liu. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Professor Adrian Holliday. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Improving the English reading proficiency of the left-behind teenage students in rural China. Researcher(s): Mrs Dan Gong. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Kevin Balchin. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Investigating EFL Students’ Use of Mobile Phone Applications for Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition: The Case of Third Year University Students at Bejaia University.. Researcher(s): Mrs Sylia Iskounen. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Kevin Balchin. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Malaysian English Teachers’ Perceptions towards Professional Learning Communities (PLC). Researcher(s): Mr Lip Vi Teoh. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Dr Kevin Balchin. [Postgraduate Research Project]
The Representation of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton in newspapers and Social Media (Instagram) during their Royal wedding events: A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach (CDA).. Researcher(s): Miss Razika Boukhenoufa. Supervisor(s): Dr Jacopo Castaldi, Professor Adrian Holliday. [Postgraduate Research Project]