My principal research interests lie in interpreter training with regard to new post-modern challenges, in particular superdiversity and translanguaging practices. I have also carried out extensive research into the construction of professional identities in higher education, through the lens of narrative and ethnographic inquiry. Among my teaching skills, I specialize in intercultural communication and the phonetics and phonology of global forms of spoken English.

I have also carried out extensive research into the construction of professional identities in higher education, through the lens of narrative and ethnographic inquiry. Specifically, how continuing mono-lingual/cultural approaches to teaching interpreting in higher education can impact the developing professional identities of interpreter students and potentially leave them ill-prepared for a multilingual and multicultural world (Runcieman, 2018).

More recently, I have begun to research translanguaging practices in legal interpreting contexts where increasing examples of hybrid and melded linguistic forms of language used by migrant communities are emerging in courtrooms, and the problems this poses for standard interpreting approaches (Runcieman, 2022). Also, I have begun to research the impact of Covid-19 on Community/Public-Service interpreting (Runcieman, 2020) and how future pandemics or crisis situations will potentially shape this field (Runcieman, forthcoming).