If you want to attend any of our seminars, please arrive at the location 5 to 10 minutes before the start time. All seminars are free to attend and you do not need to book your place.

Professor Wei Ren, Beihang University (Beijing)

• Title The Complexities and Dynamics of Pragmatics of Sharing on Social Media
• Date: 19 February 2026
• Time: 12pm - to 1pm (GMT)
• Speaker: Professor Wei Ren - Professor of Applied Linguistics at the School of Foreign Languages, Beihang University, Beijing, China
• Location: 1 West, Room 3.30

During this seminar, Professor Wei Ren will discuss the below research:

Sharing has become an integral part of our daily lives and a fundamental component of digital cultures, influencing our communication, social interactions, and cultural production. This talk will delve into the intricate nuances and multifaceted nature of sharing practices on online forums and social media platforms, highlighting the complexity of online communication from a pragmatics perspective. Drawing on insights from a diverse range of relevant literature, the speaker will explore the dynamics of sharing practices, examining how factors such as individual emotions, social norms, cultural contexts, and technological affordances intertwine to shape individuals’sharing practices. A particular focus of the presentation will be the pragmatic strategies employed by Chinese netizens when sharing their experiences and seeking or offering emotional support on social media groups.