Paul Baker

This Element explores approaches to locating and examining social identity in corpora with and without the aid of demographic metadata. This is a key concern in corpus-aided studies of language and identity, and this Element sets out to explore the main challenges and affordances associated with either approach and to discern what either approach can (and cannot) show. It describes two case studies which each compare two approaches to social identity variables – sex and age – in a corpus of 14-million words of patient comments about NHS cancer services in England. The first approach utilises demographic tags to group comments according to patients' sex/age while the second involves categorising cases where patients disclose their sex/age in their comments. This Element compares the findings from either approach, with the approaches themselves being critically discussed in terms of their implications for corpus-aided studies of language and identity.

The Language of Patient Feedback provides a unique insight into a diverse range of issues related to healthcare. Through the comprehensive and detailed interrogation of 29 million words of online patient feedback on the NHS in England, as well as 11 million words of responses to the feedback from NHS providers, this book:Uses a combination of computer-assisted and human analysis (Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis) to examine the extent to which characteristics like age and gender result in different types of evaluation. Investigates why nurses, doctors, dentists and receptionists are associated with very distinct types of feedback. Demonstrates the ways that NHS staff respond to comments and what this reveals about underlying institutional ideologies and practices. Concludes with suggestions for key recommendations that the NHS could act upon to improve the overall level of care it provides, as well as reflecting on what patient evaluation can actually tell us. The Language of Patient Feedback is key reading for anyone undertaking research within corpus linguistics, discourse analysis and health communication.

‘Baker’s chatty, tart tone and personal asides serve to throw the heady extremes of a not-so-distant era into even sharper relief.’ – BBC History Magazine‘Peppered with wry asides and anecdotes.’ – History Revealed magazine‘An important and fascinating deep dive into one of the most damaging pieces of legislation in modern history.’ – Matthew Todd, author of Straight Jacket and Pride‘A lovely conversational social history.’ – Paul Flynn, author of Good As YouOn 23 May 1988, Paul Baker sat down with his family to eat cake on his sixteenth birthday while The Six O’Clock News played in the background. But something was not quite right. There was muffled shouting – ‘Stop Section 28!’ – and a scuffle. The morning papers would announce: ‘Beeb Man Sits on Lesbian’. The next day Section 28 passed into law, forbidding local authorities from teaching ‘the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’. It would send shockwaves through British society, silencing gay pupils and teachers while galvanizing mass protests and the formation of the LGBTQ+ rights groups OutRage! and Stonewall. Outrageous! tells the full story: the background to the Act, how the press fanned the flames and what politicians said during debates, how protestors fought back to bring about the repeal of the law in the 2000s, and its eventual legacy. Based on detailed research, interviews with key figures – including Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Angela Mason – and personal recollection, it is an impassioned, warm, often moving account of unthinkable prejudice enshrined within law, and of the power of community to overcome it.

Obesity is a pressing social issue and a persistently newsworthy topic for the media. This book examines the linguistic representation of obesity in the British press. It combines techniques from corpus linguistics with critical discourse studies to analyse a large corpus of newspaper articles (36 million words) representing ten years of obesity coverage. These articles are studied from a range of methodological perspectives, and analytical themes include variation between newspapers, change over time, diet and exercise, gender and social class. The volume also investigates the language that readers use when responding to obesity representations in the context of online comments. The authors reveal the power of linguistic choices to shame and stigmatise people with obesity, presenting them as irresponsible and morally deviant. Yet the analysis also demonstrates the potential for alternative representations which place greater focus on the role that social and political forces play in this topical health issue.

Obesity is a pressing social issue and a persistently newsworthy topic for the media. This book examines the linguistic representation of obesity in the British press. It combines techniques from corpus linguistics with critical discourse studies to analyse a large corpus of newspaper articles (36 million words) representing ten years of obesity coverage. These articles are studied from a range of methodological perspectives, and analytical themes include variation between newspapers, change over time, diet and exercise, gender and social class. The volume also investigates the language that readers use when responding to obesity representations in the context of online comments. The authors reveal the power of linguistic choices to shame and stigmatise people with obesity, presenting them as irresponsible and morally deviant. Yet the analysis also demonstrates the potential for alternative representations which place greater focus on the role that social and political forces play in this topical health issue.

Paul Baker has experienced many ups and downs in his life, but it’s how he dealt with these moments and learned from them that really sets his story apart. He is accustomed to failure, having learned how to turn negative experiences into positive outcomes, and he continues to remain focused on his ambitions by continually setting himself new goals. Covering themes such as ambition, determination, and the importance of mindset and exercise when it comes to personal growth, Finding Fame illustrates Paul’s drive to constantly improve both himself and his life. Paul has enjoyed many major milestones over the years, from being awarded the Kyokushinkai Karate black belt at just age 16 to serving with the British Army, a career that led him all over the world to places like Belize and the Falkland Islands. This book showcases how important it is to fail in life – to get knocked down but then to rise up again, stronger and wiser and ready for the next obstacle. His martial arts background and army training taught Paul the importance of discipline and resilience, traits he took with him and used in all other areas of his life. Underlining everything he does is his knowledge of how your mindset can set you up for success, and the understanding that bad experiences aren’t ultimately bad, as they can teach you the tools and techniques you need to navigate through the challenges of life. Paul also understands the power of setting goals in life, and in being ambitious with those goals. Without a clear, set plan, you won’t know which direction to go in – which path to take – and, even if you end up going down a path you hadn’t previously considered, you simply have to take that first step. What you learn along the way is often far more important than the destination you initially had in mind. Paul acknowledges the impact his environment had on him when he was younger, from his home life to his schooldays and his extracurricular activities. He attributes his positive growth mindset to several people from his youth: his parents, his middle school teacher, and his martial arts instructors. These individuals moulded who he was as a person and encouraged him to view circumstances and obstacles from a different perspective; by shifting his mindset, he opened himself up to all the wonderful opportunities this world has to offer. Exercise is another key theme in the book; Paul looks at how it’s helped him physically and mentally. As he says, the earlier you start physical activity, the faster the payback – in all areas of your life. Not only does exercise improve your health and help with weight loss, but it also encourages a happier, more positive mindset, increases your energy levels, and gives you the confidence required to go after what you really want. Without exercise, Paul simply would not have accomplished everything he’s achieved in his life so far. Finding Fame also looks at the music and world events that shaped Paul’s adolescence as he grew up in the ‘80s, as well as his fitness victories – including the time he climbed Mont Blanc, a personal challenge he set himself to celebrate his 40th birthday. This book is an excellent example of how mindset is everything, how failure is a learning experience, and that – in order to keep growing as a person – you simply must carry on, no matter what. Finding Fame will give you the knowledge, motivation, and inspiration you need to identify your goals and go after what you really want in life.

How do violent jihadists use language to try to persuade people to carry out violent acts? This book analyses over two million words of texts produced by violent jihadists to identify and examine the linguistic strategies employed. Taking a mixed methods approach, the authors combine quantitative methods from corpus linguistics, which allows the identification of frequent words and phrases, alongside close reading of texts via discourse analysis. The analysis compares language use across three sets of texts: those which advocate violence, those which take a hostile but non-violent standpoint, and those which take a moderate perspective, identifying the different uses of language associated with different stages of radicalization. The book also discusses how strategies including use of Arabic, romanisation, formal English, quotation, metaphor, dehumanisation and collectivisation are used to create in- and out-groups and justify violence.

This guide tells you everything you need to know when considering a potential purchase of the car that evolved to become the powerful, technically complex and aggressive Lancia Delta integrale Evo, a car that consistently won the Rally World Championship from 1987 to 1992, and has now attained cult status. Fully illustrated, with a unique evaluation guide, valuable advice on cost, documentation, restoration, club support and much more, this Essential Buyer’s Guide provides you with practical information from a marque expert on how to seek out a good example, and get the right car at the right price.

A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2019‘Richly evocative and entertaining.’ – Guardian‘A delightful read.’ – Tatler‘An essential book for anyone who wants to Polari Bona!’ – AttitudePolari is a language that was used chiefly by gay men in the first half of the twentieth century. It offered its speakers a degree of public camouflage and a means of identification. Its colourful roots are varied – from Cant to Lingua Franca to dancers’ slang – and in the mid-1960s it was thrust into the limelight by the characters Julian and Sandy, voiced by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams, on the BBC radio show Round the Horne. (‘Oh hello Mr Horne, how bona to vada your dolly old eek!’) Paul Baker recounts the story of Polari with skill, humour and tenderness. He traces its historical origins and describes its linguistic nuts and bolts, explores the ways and the environments in which it was spoken, explains the reasons for its decline and tells of its unlikely re-emergence in the twenty-first century. With a cast of drag queens and sailors, Dilly boys and macho clones, Fabulosa! is an essential document of recent history – a fascinating and fantastically readable account of this funny, filthy and ingenious language.

Is the British press prejudiced against Muslims? In what ways can prejudice be explicit or subtle? This book uses a detailed analysis of over 140 million words of newspaper articles on Muslims and Islam, combining corpus linguistics and discourse analysis methods to produce an objective picture of media attitudes. The authors analyse representations around frequently cited topics such as Muslim women who wear the veil and 'hate preachers'. The analysis is self-reflexive and multidisciplinary, incorporating research on journalistic practices, readership patterns and attitude surveys to answer questions which include: what do journalists mean when they use phrases like 'devout Muslim' and how did the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks affect press reporting? This is a stimulating and unique book for those working in fields of discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, while clear explanations of linguistic terminology make it valuable to those in the fields of politics, media studies, journalism and Islamic studies.

Trying to match staffing levels with seasonal demand has resulted in an explosion in the utilization of staffing agencies and has filled plants up with high turnover, temporary workforces. Effectively utilizing the entry level and temporary workforce plagues General Managers and Plant Managers like no other operational challenge. Innovative Operations Leaders have tried everything - career progressions, higher wages, flexible schedules, attendance bonuses, pizza parties, etc. - but still end up splitting work across five staffing agencies. But there is a better way. Disrupting Temp Labor is a step by step guide on improving the operational performance of the labor force in a way that ultimately solves the 'temp labor headache' and helps Operations Leaders reach a state of flow for their entire operation.

Polari is a language that was used chiefly by gay men at a time when being gay could result in criminal prosecution, offering a means of camouflage and identification. Its roots are varied – from Cant to dancers’ slang – and in the mid-1960s it was thrust into the limelight by the characters Julian and Sandy on the radio show Round the Horne (‘Oh Mr Horne, how bona to vada your dolly old eke!’). With humour and tenderness, Paul Baker traces Polari’s origins and describes its linguistic nuts and bolts, explores the environments in which it was spoken, and explains the reasons for its decline and unlikely re-emergence. With a cast of drag queens and sailors, Dilly boys and macho clones, Fabulosa! is an essential document of recent history and a fascinating account of this ingenious language.

The Language of Patient Feedback provides a unique insight into a diverse range of issues related to healthcare. Through the comprehensive and detailed interrogation of 29 million words of online patient feedback on the NHS in England, as well as 11 million words of responses to the feedback from NHS providers, this book: Uses a combination of computer-assisted and human analysis (Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis) to examine the extent to which characteristics like age and gender result in different types of evaluation. Investigates why nurses, doctors, dentists and receptionists are associated with very distinct types of feedback. Demonstrates the ways that NHS staff respond to comments and what this reveals about underlying institutional ideologies and practices. Concludes with suggestions for key recommendations that the NHS could act upon to improve the overall level of care it provides, as well as reflecting on what patient evaluation can actually tell us. The Language of Patient Feedback is key reading for anyone undertaking research within corpus linguistics, discourse analysis and health communication.

The 10th edition of a very popular book filled with real-life stories from people who were looking for answers and solutions for all types of pain, disorders and diseases and found their answers from the chiropractic care provided by Dr. Paul Baker and Dr. Patrick Baker

Is British English becoming more like American English? If so, why, and in what ways? This book compares examples of American and British language data from the 1930s, 1960s, 1990s and 2000s, to track the most important ways that both varieties are changing over time, and compares the extent to which they are following similar paths using a mixture of computer and human analysis. The analysis is carried out across several levels, including spelling differences (such as colour vs color), vocabulary (truck vs lorry), and a range of morphological, grammatical, semantic and pragmatic features. Baker explores the changing aspects of American and British society which help to explain the findings.

Is British English becoming more like American English? If so, why, and in what ways? This book compares examples of American and British language data from the 1930s, 1960s, 1990s and 2000s, to track the most important ways that both varieties are changing over time, and compares the extent to which they are following similar paths using a mixture of computer and human analysis. The analysis is carried out across several levels, including spelling differences (such as colour vs color), vocabulary (truck vs lorry), and a range of morphological, grammatical, semantic and pragmatic features. Baker explores the changing aspects of American and British society which help to explain the findings.

When gays had to be closeted, ships were the only places where homosexual men could not only be out but also camp. And on some liners to the sun and the New World, queens and butches had a ball. They sashayed and minced their way across the world's oceans. Never before has the story been told of the masses. These are the thousands of queer seafarers, mainly stewards, who sometimes even outnumbered the straight men in the catering departments of ships that were household names and the pride of the British fleet. Hello Sailor! uniquely shows what it was like to be queer at sea at a time when land meant straightness.