Beatriz Carbajal-Carrera

I am a linguist with training in sociolinguistic, pragmatic and discourse analysis approaches who specialises in humour and language pedagogy. I joined The University of Sydney as a Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies after completing a PhD in Lengua española at The University of Salamanca/Flinders University (Cotutelle program).

My research is concerned with the role of language in shaping knowledge in humour
contexts and teaching/learning contexts. I examine how language privileges certain ways of knowing over others, reinforcing existing hierarchies. My work investigates discursive patterns of coloniality and how they go unnoticed in communication due to a “just kidding” logic in humour and to the unquestioning of authority in education. I apply theories from linguistics, decoloniality and sociology to analyse these patterns in online humour and teaching frameworks. Through my interdisciplinary approaches, I contribute to a nuanced understanding of the ways in which language conceptualizes knowledge.