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Sophie MarnetteView profile

Professor

• Medieval French Literature
• Linguistics
• Narratology
• +3 more

Professor Sophie Marnette is a Professor of Medieval French Studies and Fellow of Balliol College at the University of Oxford. She holds roles such as Chair of the Sub-Faculty of French (2016–18) and Junior Proctor (2019–20). Her research integrates linguistic and philological approaches to medieval literature, focusing on narrative voice, gender discourse strategies, and intertextuality. She leads major projects on texts like La Chastelaine de Vergy and collaborates internationally on Medieval Metalepses, supported by an £800K grant. Teaching spans undergraduate tutorials in Medieval French literature and graduate seminars on topics like 'Writing Women in the Middle Ages'. She supervises D.Phil. students in 12–13th-century French/Occitan studies and related fields. Publications include foundational works like Speech and Thought in French (2005) and contributions to interdisciplinary journals. Awards include the 2001 PALA Prize. Her work bridges medieval literary analysis with modern linguistic theory, emphasizing discourse reporting and gendered expression across genres. Research highlights include examining female character discourse in lais and fabliaux , and material/textual analysis of medieval manuscripts. Grants and collaborative projects underscore her role in advancing medieval studies through innovative methodologies.

Milada WalkovaView profile

Associate Professor

• English for Academic Purposes
• Academic Writing
• Applied Linguistics
• +12 more

Dr. Milada (Millie) Walkova is an Associate Professor of English for Academic Purposes at the University of Leeds , affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies and based in the Language Centre . She joined the university in 2018 and teaches on pre-sessional EAP courses and the online MA in Teaching English for Academic Purposes . She also holds a faculty position at the Technical University of Košice , Department of Languages. Her educational background includes: PhD in English Linguistics DELTA (Cambridge), with specialism in English for Academic Purposes MA in British and American Studies (thesis in EAP) PG Cert in English Language Teaching Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow Dr. Walkova’s research centers on linguistic approaches to academic writing , particularly in cross-cultural contexts. Her key interests include argument construction, self-mention, citation practices, and the teaching of academic vocabulary and transition markers. She advocates for evidence-based EAP pedagogy and has developed models such as the three-dimensional framework for self-mention. Her work often compares Slovak and English academic discourse, revealing cultural and linguistic differences in scholarly communication. Her recent scholarly output includes two edited books: Teaching Academic Writing for EAP (2024) and Linguistic Approaches in EAP: Expanding the Discourse (2024), both published by Bloomsbury. Her publications span high-impact journals such as English for Specific Purposes , Journal of English for Academic Purposes , and Discourse and Interaction . The articles show a consistent focus on empirical analysis of academic genres, EAP pedagogy, and contrastive rhetoric, with a strong trend toward practical applications in teaching and research writing support. She is actively involved in the academic community: Administrator, Critical Friend Network Initiative, BALEAP (2023–2025) Editorial Board Member: ESP Today (2023–), Ostrava Journal of English Philology (2021–), Language Scholar (2019–2023) Member, Pedagogic Research in the Arts (PRiA) working group Professional memberships: BALEAP, EATAW, AALL, ISSOTL Dr. Walkova supervises PhD students in linguistic aspects of academic writing and encourages scholarship in EAP. She leads module development in EAP and contributes to pedagogic research within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and practical language teaching, aiming to enhance the academic success of non-native English speakers in global higher education.

Kai AlterView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Speech and Language Processing
• Emotional Processing in Laughter
• Tinnitus
• +5 more

Kai Alter is a Senior Lecturer in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience at Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences, affiliated with the Biosciences Institute. They also serve as an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics and maintain collaborations with institutions including the University of Lisbon and Tuebingen University. Their educational background includes: Habilitation from University of Leipzig (2002) PhD in Linguistics from University of Leipzig (1994) Post-grade in Linguistics from University of Geneva (1993) Post-grade in Phonetics from University of Lausanne (1993) Master in Linguistics from University of Leipzig (1990) Master in Russian Language from University of Belgorod (1988) Dr. Alter's research focuses on auditory neuroscience, particularly speech and language processing using behavioral and neuro-imaging methods (EEG, MEG, fMRI) in both healthy volunteers and patients. Their work spans cognitive neuroscience, examining the comparison between language and music processing, neurocognition of prosody and intonation in children, turn taking in communication, tinnitus research, dyslexia and working memory, and laughter and brain interactions. They also investigate developmental aspects of speech & language processing, speech segmentation on phrase and discourse level, and processing of durational, tonal, and spectral properties related to voice. Dr. Alter's publications reveal a strong focus on tinnitus research, emotional processing in laughter, and speech processing in neurological conditions. Their work combines multiple neuroimaging techniques to understand auditory processing mechanisms, with recent publications showing increasing interest in tinnitus as a neurological condition and its relationship to brain responses, as well as the neural basis of emotional vocalizations like laughter. Notable scientific achievements include: Oxford Visiting Senior Research Fellowship (2015-2017) Honorary appointment as Research Associate in Neurology by the NHS Trust Associate Member of Laboratorio de Fonetica & Lisbon Baby Lab Research Associate at the Tuebingen University Hospital for Psychiatry Dr. Alter has co-supervised 22 PhD students and 8 PDRAs, and currently co-supervises 5 PhD students and 1 PDRA. They have secured international and national grants totaling £1.8 million over the past 12 years. As a reviewer, they have evaluated proposals for numerous national and international Research Foundations including Human Frontier Science Program, ERC, German Research Foundation, Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, Austrian Research Foundation, French Research Foundation, MRC, ASRC, ESRC, and Wellcome Trust. Dr. Alter co-convenes the cross-Faculty Research Group on Phonetics and Phonology at Newcastle University and maintains an active research program investigating the neural basis of speech and emotional vocalizations. Their work bridges cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, and clinical applications, particularly in understanding speech processing disorders and tinnitus.

• Linguistics
• Theoretical Syntax
• Semantic Analysis
• +7 more

Dr. Aicha Belkadi is a Lecturer in Linguistics at SOAS University of London, affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics and the Department of Linguistics. She holds a PhD and MA in Linguistics from SOAS. Her teaching focuses on syntax, semantics, morphology, and sociolinguistics. Education: MA in Linguistics, SOAS (University of London) PhD in Linguistics, SOAS (University of London) Research Interests: Dr. Belkadi’s work centers on descriptive and theoretical syntax (LFG, Minimalism, Construction Grammar), lexical semantics, syntax-semantics interface, linguistic typology, and African languages—particularly Berber (Taqbaylit). Key areas include motion and deixis, agreement systems, pronouns, lexical aspect, and language policy. She is a research assistant on the OWRI-funded 'Multilingualism and Language Learning' project since 2018. Publications: Her research explores associated motion, deictic directionality in Berber and Bantu languages, and typological studies. Recent works include analyses of Rangi deictic motion and Berber clitic semantics. Grants/Projects: OWRI-funded project on multilingualism (since 2018) Labs/Teams: Collaborates with SOAS Working Papers in Linguistics and the Berber Studies network.

• Writing Studies
• Writing Pedagogy
• Academic Literacies
• +12 more

Katy Jones is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Language and Communication Research at the School of English, Communication and Philosophy, Cardiff University. She is the founder and Director of the Writing Development Centre, where she leads initiatives to support student writing across disciplines. From January 2023 to January 2025, she served as Academic Lead for the Cardiff University Senior Fellowship Programme in a part-time secondment at the Learning and Teaching Academy. PhD in Language and Communication, Cardiff University Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA) Her research focuses on writing studies, particularly writing pedagogy, composing processes, and the transition to academic literacies in higher education. She is deeply committed to enhancing assessment and feedback literacy, supporting second language writers, and exploring digital writing practices. The 'Talking about Writing with Peers' program she developed fosters peer mentorship and has shown significant benefits for both mentors and mentees. The trends in her publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus, bridging applied linguistics, educational development, and digital pedagogy. Her work spans theoretical linguistics (e.g., reference and definiteness) and practical applications in teaching and learning, particularly in collaborative online environments and academic writing support. Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE (SFHEA) Katy Jones actively supervises PhD students in writing studies, second language writing, and learning development. She has secured external funding, including from SWCEP, to expand peer writing mentorship into secondary education. She contributes to academic service as a peer reviewer for Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and Lingua , and serves on professional committees such as the International Collaborations Committee of AWAC and the advisory board of the LED 2021 Conference. She leads the Writing Development Centre, which offers comprehensive writing support services including individual mentoring, workshops, and online resources. The Centre is set to support the new 'Writing at University and Beyond' core module from 2025–26 and is piloting the 'Writing Talk' project with Fitzalan High School to ease the transition to university writing.

Sebastian FeddenView profile

Professor

• Language Typology
• Canonical Typology
• Papuan Languages
• +8 more

Sebastian Fedden is Professor of General Linguistics at Sorbonne Nouvelle University, with additional teaching engagements at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2022-24). His administrative responsibilities include membership in the Conseil de Gestion (ILPGA), representation of LACITO at the Doctoral College, editorship of LACITO Publications, and coordination of research axes in the Labex-EFL project on grammatical typology. Fedden's research explores linguistic diversity through: Core frameworks: Canonical typology and language documentation Regional expertise: Papuan languages (Mian, Telefol, Tifal, Kibiri) Theoretical foci: Nominal classification systems (gender/classifiers), agreement phenomena, argument realization Interdisciplinary connections: Cognition-categorization interfaces, psycholinguistic validation His recent publications (2020-2022) demonstrate methodological diversity—combining discourse analysis, computational modeling, and diachronic approaches—to examine grammatical systems in Papuan languages, particularly agreement mechanics in Mian and grammaticalization pathways in Trans New Guinea. Fedden actively supervises doctoral candidates researching endangered languages: Moisés A. Veláquez (Kibiri grammar) and Neige Rochant (Baga Pukur grammar). He secures significant research funding including the ANR-DFG binational project Complex Predicates in Languages: Emergence, Typology, Evolution (2021-24) and ESRC UK Grant Optimal categorisation (2018-22). He coordinates research networks through LACITO and the Surrey Morphology Group, and organizes major linguistics events including DGfS workshops and the Current Trends in Papuan Linguistics conference.

• Pragmatics
• Philosophy of Language
• Semantics
• +3 more

Dr. Alison Hall is a VC2020 Senior Lecturer in English Language at De Montfort University (DMU), affiliated with the School of Humanities. She joined DMU in 2015 and specializes in theoretical pragmatics and philosophy of language. PhD in Linguistics, University College London (UCL) MA in Linguistics, UCL BA in German and Spanish, University of Bradford Her research focuses on pragmatics, philosophy of language, semantics, and linguistic theory, particularly on topics like linguistic underdeterminacy , explicit-implicit distinctions , and relevance theory . Her publications explore pragmatic enrichment, semantic compositionality, and the interaction between syntax and pragmatics. Her recent articles (2017-2019) demonstrate expertise in ellipsis, ad hoc concepts, and contextual meaning construction. These works intersect with cognitive science, formal semantics, and inferential communication frameworks. British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Research in Paris funding for Institut Jean Nicod She supervises PhD research in theoretical pragmatics and participates in international conferences, including the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology and the Experimental Philosophy Conference. Her teaching includes courses on linguistics, pragmatics, and English language dissertations.

John CollinsView profile

Professor

• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Linguistics
• Concept of Truth
• +2 more

John Collins is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, where he is the Head of the School of Philosophy within the School of Politics, Philosophy and Area Studies. His research interests include the philosophy of language, the philosophy of linguistics, the concept of truth, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of cognitive science. His recent publications cover topics such as polysemy and roots, world and truth in conflict, the status of indefinites, and the disunity of personal taste.

Chi-Hé ElderView profile

Associate Professor

• Pragmatics
• Misunderstandings
• Meaning in Interaction
• +4 more

Chi-Hé Elder is an Associate Professor in Linguistics at the University of East Anglia, where she is also the Research Director and a member of the Language and Communication Studies group in the School of Media, Language and Communication Studies. Her research focuses on interactional pragmatics, misunderstandings, meaning in interaction, accountability, offence, humour, and politeness. Her recent publications explore the negotiation of misunderstandings in various contexts, the role of inference in pragmatic models, and the dynamics of offensive humour in online interactions.

Eva Schultze-BerndtView profile

Professor

• Linguistic Typology
• Language Documentation
• Australian Languages
• +1 more

Prof. Eva Schultze-Berndt is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Manchester, specializing in typology and documentation of Australian languages. With 40+ months of fieldwork, her research examines Western Mirndi languages (Jaminjung, Ngaliwurru) and Northern Australian Kriol. Research Focus: Schultze-Berndt's work addresses grammatical phenomena including complex predication, verb classification, spatial language, information structure, and modality systems. Her DoBeS-funded projects document Jaminjungan languages and analyze prosodic convergence in multilingual communities. Publication Trends: Recent articles (2017-2023) explore reflexive constructions, discontinuous NPs, and information structure in Australian languages. Earlier work established foundations on secondary predication, parts of speech, and verb classification typologies. Leadership: Coordinates international documentation projects; serves on editorial boards of Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung and Oxford Studies in Typology.

• German Linguistics
• Yiddish Linguistics
• Syntactic Theory
• +3 more

Professor Kerstin Hoge serves as a University Lecturer (Non-Tutorial Fellowship) in German Linguistics at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages and is a Fellow of St Hilda's College. She holds degrees including M.Phil., D.Phil. from Oxford and M.A., M.L.S. from Ohio State University. Her expertise spans German and Yiddish linguistics, with a focus on syntactic theory, wh-movement, small-clause constructions, and language’s role in social/personal identity. She also serves as review editor for the Journal of Linguistics . Research Interests: Dr. Hoge’s work combines theoretical linguistics with cultural studies, particularly examining Yiddish children’s literature and identity formation narratives. She explores syntactic phenomena across languages and their sociolinguistic implications, using Yiddish and German as primary case studies. Her research also addresses how linguistic choices reflect and construct cultural and personal identities. Teaching & Academic Contributions: She teaches German linguistics, including descriptive analysis of contemporary German, and tutors General Linguistics (Prelims) and Linguistic Theory (FHS). Graduate teaching details are available via the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. Her publications span journals and encyclopedic entries, with a focus on Yiddish lexicography and syntactic theory analysis. Affiliations: Besides her role in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, she is affiliated with St Hilda's College and collaborates with the Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics department. She has no listed scientific awards but contributes actively to academic discourse through editorial roles and research.

Leah RobertsView profile

Professor

• Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
• Psycholinguistics
• Bilingualism
• +4 more

Leah Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Education at the University of York, leading the Centre for Advanced Studies in Language and Education. With prior research scientist roles at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (2003-2011) and University of Essex (2000-2003), her academic journey bridges theoretical and applied research in second language processing. Education: PhD in Syntactic Processing in Second Language Learners (University of Essex, 2003), MA in Language Acquisition (University of Essex, 1999), BA in Linguistics with Education Studies (University of East London, 1997) Her research focuses on second language acquisition and bilingual processing , spanning word-, sentence-, and discourse-levels. Key areas include cross-linguistic influences in SLA, classroom intervention studies, and real-time processing mechanisms in adult vs. child language learners. Recent work examines article acquisition in L2 English, prosody's role in syntactic ambiguity resolution, and visual processing asymmetries in motion event analysis. Collaborations include institutions across Europe (University of Osnabruck, Lund University, Utrecht University) and North America (Penn State University). She contributes to journals as Managing Editor of the EUROSLA Yearbook and Co-Editor of IRAL , with editorial board memberships spanning five international publications. Key Research Trends: Temporal and referential processing in bilingual discourse Classroom vs. naturalistic language learning mechanisms Information structure acquisition in multilingual contexts Prosodic and syntactic cue integration in real-time comprehension Cross-linguistic influences on morphosyntactic development Visual-spatial cognition in language processing She teaches MA modules including Cross-linguistic Influences in SLA, Developmental Psycholinguistics, and Research Methods for Applied Linguistics, emphasizing methodological rigor in both experimental and classroom-based studies.

Andrea Celeste Mojedano BatelView profile

Researcher

• Syntax
• Semantics
• Forensic Linguistics
• +3 more

Andrea Celeste Mojedano Batel is a Research Associate at the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics within Aston University's College of Business and Social Sciences, Department of Communication and Culture. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with forensic applications, focusing on cognitive organization of language. Research interests: Syntax-semantics interface and grammatical change Diachronic and synchronic language evolution Idiolectal stability across communicative genres Native dialect influence detection in second-language writing Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on Spanish linguistic structures, particularly 'liking' constructions and epistemic modality. The research demonstrates interdisciplinary connections between historical linguistics, forensic authorship analysis, and computational dialect detection, with increasing emphasis on practical forensic applications since 2020. Education: PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University (2018) MA from Indiana University (2013) BA from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2008) Active in major international conferences including the European Conference of the International Association for Forensic & Legal Linguistics (2024) and the International Conference on Corpus Linguistics (2023), she collaborates extensively with researchers like Kredens and Soler Bonafont on forensic linguistics applications.

• Linguistics
• Syntax
• Pragmatics
• +12 more

Johannes Heim is a Lecturer in Language & Linguistics at the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, where he joined in 2022. He holds a PhD in Linguistics (Cognitive Stream) from the University of British Columbia (2019) and has previously held positions in Greifswald, Germany, and Newcastle, UK. He serves as Director of Postgraduate Research (PGR) for his School and is REF Co-lead for Linguistics (UoA27) alongside Professors Andrew Gorden and David Wheatley. He is also Co-director of the Centre of Training and Research in Linguistics with Professor Robert McColl Millar. PhD in Linguistics (Cognitive Stream), 2019, University of British Columbia His research lies at the intersection of syntax, pragmatics, prosody, and gesture, focusing on how adults and infants use multimodal cues to manage interaction. A central theme is non-assertive speech acts, particularly non-canonical questions, and how intonation, discourse particles, and gestures encode speaker expectations and attitudes. He investigates the syntactic integration of discourse particles across languages and how prosody interfaces with syntax to shape meaning. Recently, he has expanded into how infants use multimodal cues to scaffold language acquisition, emphasizing the role of caregiver feedback and interactional context. His recent publications (2022–2025) show a strong focus on the acquisition of interactional language, prosodic variation in questions, and multimodal communication. Key themes include the syntax-pragmatics interface, child language development, discourse particles (e.g., in Javanese), intonational meaning, and caregiver modelling. His work appears in high-quality journals such as Glossa , Speech Communication , and Journal of Pragmatics , as well as in peer-reviewed book chapters and conference proceedings. Johannes Heim is actively involved in mentoring and supervision. He is accepting PhD students in linguistics and is open to mentoring postdoctoral fellowship applications, including those for the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, and Horizon Europe’s MSCA program. He also collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, such as developing models to address the hidden curriculum in higher education. He is a key member of several research initiatives, including the Centre of Training and Research in Linguistics, and contributes to major conferences such as WCCFL, DGfS, and LAGB. His work emphasizes empirical data from both adult and child language use, often combining corpus analysis with experimental and observational methods.

Heather MarsdenView profile

Professor

• Second Language Acquisition
• Generative Linguistics
• Syntax-Semantics Interface
• +16 more

Heather Marsden is a Professor in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York, where she has been a faculty member since 2007, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2016 and currently holds the rank of Professor. She is actively involved in research, teaching, and external academic engagement, with a strong focus on second language acquisition from a generative linguistic perspective. Her educational background includes a BA in Japanese Studies from the University of Cambridge, an MA and PhD in Linguistics from the University of Durham, and a Diploma in Translation from the Chartered Institute of Linguists. She also held an ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Newcastle University before joining York. Her research centers on the L2 acquisition of linguistic structures at the syntax–semantics and syntax–discourse interfaces, with special emphasis on Japanese and other East Asian languages, as well as Spanish, German, and French taught in UK schools. She uses psycholinguistic methods such as acceptability judgments and sentence processing tasks to explore cross-linguistic influence, the role of input (ambient, instructed, or absent), and the impact of explicit grammar instruction on acquisition. Her work bridges theoretical generative SLA and practical language teaching, advocating for collaborative research and knowledge exchange. Her recent publications show a consistent focus on quantifier scope, definiteness, polarity items, filler-gap dependencies, and prosody in L2 and L3 acquisition, particularly involving Japanese, Korean, and English. She frequently collaborates with international researchers and presents at major conferences such as EuroSLA and LAGB. Ambient input, instructed input, and absent input: A reflection on L2 acquisition in different input conditions (2021, Plenary, Japan Second Language Association) Using Case to predict in the German language classroom: a pilot study (2018, UiT The Arctic University of Norway) Insights for teacher-researcher collaboration from theoretical SLA research (2018, UiT) Searching for a common language: where do GenSLA research and the language classroom meet? (2017, GASLA 14) She is an active supervisor of PhD students, welcoming projects grounded in linguistic theory that investigate non-native language acquisition, especially involving Japanese or East Asian languages, or the application of generative SLA findings to pedagogy. She leads and participates in externally funded research projects, including those funded by the British Academy and ESRC, such as Interpreting prosody in a second language and Psycholinguistic methods in the language classroom . She is also a co-investigator in the OASIS project focused on open-access research summaries in language studies. She is involved in lab-based psycholinguistic research and collaborates with teams across Europe and Asia, contributing to a vibrant research network in generative SLA and classroom applications.