Vyv Evans, PhD

One of the most significant contributions of Cognitive Linguistics to language teaching has been a conceptual shift — a reorientation away from viewing grammar as an arbitrary set of rules to be memorised, and toward understanding it as a meaningful, motivated system grounded in human experience.

When Cognitive Linguistics first coalesced as a recognisable movement in the late twentieth century, it did so around several core domains of inquiry that were, at the time, intellectually radical. Those domains continue to define the field — though they have matured, diversified, and, in some cases, been substantially refined. One foundational domain is Conceptual Metaphor Theory, most famously articulated in Metaphors We Live By,  by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. The cent

What fundamentally differentiates a linguist working within a Cognitive Linguistic framework is not simply the technical apparatus they employ, but the assumptions they bring to the very nature of language. The divide begins with ontology — with what one believes language is.

If we take seriously the idea that language is a symbolic technology—a system for encoding and externalising our conceptualisations—then emojis present a fascinating case study. They are not mere decorative add‑ons. They are part of the evolving semiotic ecology through which humans coordinate meaning in digitally mediated environments.

To “know” a language is not to possess an abstract rulebook lodged somewhere in the recesses of the mind. Nor is it to have internalised a set of syntactic transformations or parameter settings. Rather, it is to have entrenched a vast network of symbolic pairings — constructions — that link form and meaning, and to be able to deploy them flexibly in situated interaction.

When I describe Cognitive Linguistics as an “enterprise,” I do so quite deliberately. It was never merely a theory in the narrow sense — not simply a competing model of syntax or semantics. It emerged, rather, as a broad intellectual movement united by a shared set of commitments about the nature of mind, meaning, and language.

So when we ask whether AI “understands,” we must be careful. It produces outputs that look like understanding because it has learned the distributional patterns associated with meaningful language use. But it is operating at the level of form, not lived conceptualisation.

The universe is filled with countless cosmic wonders, from the breathtaking sights of nebulae and sprawling galaxies to the intricate details captured by observatories such as those operated by NASA and the European Space Agency, including the James Webb Space Telescope. These celestial phenomena serve as reminders of the vastness and beauty that exist beyond our planet.

I offer various editorial and writing services on Fiverr, ranging from developmental editing to beta reading to bespoke/custom offerings as an expert, highly professional writing coach.

Before submission to a literary agent, or self-publishing, an expert writing specialist can help an author craft the best version of...

The Crucible of Language, a popular science book by Vyvyan Evans unravels how language and mind co-conspire to produce meaning.

"Smart speculative fiction at its very vest"

If you are a Generation Xer, someone in their fifties, then the chances are that you may have recently deployed the praying hands emoji ...

The case of Waterstones and the anti-trans author Christina Dalcher According to a recent post on an influential Mumsnet forum, the...

The use of 'brat' by pop star Charli XCX and why it works Photograph: @CHARLI_XCX/INSTAGRAM The word ‘brat’ is typically used to mean an...

The Songs of the Sage series consists of six books that are equal parts apocalyptic sci-fi, arcane mystery and mainstream thriller.

Linguistic Relativity holds that divergence in the grammatical organization and lexical structure of the language we speak alters the...

Science fiction is the literary genre of ideas. And it helps to have subject matter expertise to be able to effectively write in this...

Kirkus Reviews recommends The Babel Apocalypse as summer blockbuster poolside reading -- a thriller with a formidable female antihero.

While a fictional character emerges from an act of imagination, fiction is grounded in lived experience. And in turn, the best fiction...