Jan Svennevig

Jan Svennevig is Professor of Linguistic Communication and Head of Department at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies, University of Agder. He is affiliated with MultiLing - Center for Multilingualism, contributing to Norway's leading research environment in multilingual studies.

His research focuses on conversation analysis in institutional contexts, particularly examining understanding establishment in interactions involving second language users. Key areas include police interrogations, dementia communication, multilingual workplaces, and pragmatic particles in Norwegian. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in healthcare, legal settings, and immigrant integration.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals strong interdisciplinary trends connecting linguistics with gerontology, clinical speech pathology, and forensic science. His 2023-2025 work shows increasing focus on multilingual dementia, preemptive communication strategies for L2 speakers, and Nordic language policy models. The publications demonstrate consistent application of conversation analysis to real-world communication challenges across diverse institutional settings.

Professor Svennevig has authored the textbook Språklig samhandling. Introduksjon til kommunikationsteori og diskursanalyse (2020), establishing foundational frameworks for discourse analysis in Scandinavian contexts. His research has significant implications for police procedure reforms, dementia care practices, and language support systems for immigrants.

He leads research within MultiLing's institutional discourse strand, directing projects on communication barriers in healthcare and legal settings. His work frequently involves collaboration with medical professionals, law enforcement agencies, and speech therapists to develop practical communication guidelines for multilingual contexts.