She is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Cape Town. Her research program is located within the broad field of sociolinguistics and has a strong transdisciplinary focus. Her current work explores the use of language in global political movements as well as the contributions decolonial thought can make to sociolinguistic theory. Recent publications include The Sociolinguistics of Everyday Creativity (with Joan Swann, 2018, special issue of Language Sciences), and Colonial and Decolonial Linguistics – Knowledges and Epistemes (2020, with Anne Storch and Nick Shepherd).  She is a recipient of the Neville Alexander Award for the Promotion of Multilingualism (2014) and the Humboldt Research Award (2016). She is an Honorary Research Fellow at University of the West Indies and a Professor II at Inland University Of Applied Sciences, Norway.