Jackie Jia Lou

Dr. Jackie Jia Lou is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London. Her research focuses on language and urban spaces, particularly through linguistic landscape studies, with a monograph and numerous publications on the topic. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from Georgetown University (2009) and has previously taught at Queen Mary University of London and City University of Hong Kong.

Research Interests: Lou specializes in sociolinguistics, discourse/narrative analysis, social semiotics, and ethnography. Her work examines how language shapes transnational urban spaces like Chinatown, integrating geosemiotic analysis and mobile video ethnography. Recent projects include historical urban sociolinguistics in Treaty Port Shanghai (Leverhulme Fellowship) and pandemic signage equity.

Academic Contributions: She co-edited a special issue on the Linguistic Landscape of Covid-19 and serves as Associate Editor for the journal Linguistic Landscape. Her teaching includes sociolinguistic modules and directing Birkbeck's BA programs in Linguistics and Culture.

Awards:

• Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2022-2024)
• ISSF Translational Award (2021)
• BAAL Applying Linguistics Grant (2018)
• Birkbeck Research Innovation Fund (2018)

Supervision: Lou has supervised PhD students Fengzhi Zhao (2022) and Maham El-Farhan (2021), focusing on cosmopolitan identity, activism signage, and urban sociolinguistics. She collaborates with artists like the Oblik Soundwork Collective in Hong Kong for interdisciplinary projects.