Syntax-Pragmatics Interface Professors and Supervisors in Canada | ApplySharif

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Alan BaleView profile

Professor

Concordia UniversityCanada

Dr. Alan Bale is a Professor in the Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics at Concordia University, specializing in semantics and syntax-semantics interfaces. His work integrates generative linguistics frameworks with experimental methods to explore grammatical representations of meaning, particularly focusing on number, comparison, and scalar competition across languages like Mi’gmaq, English, and Western Armenian. He investigates how conceptual development interacts with linguistic structures through both linguistic and non-linguistic meaning analysis. His research emphasizes teasing apart contributions from pure semantics, psychological categories, and pragmatic reasoning. Key topics include the mass-count distinction, scalar implicature, and experimental methodologies. He maintains a website and has published extensively on topics ranging from linguistic pragmatics to formal syntax. His CV provides additional details on his academic contributions. Bale's publications (2020–2025) reflect a sustained focus on scalar implicature mechanisms, mass-count distinctions, and cross-linguistic syntax-semantics interactions. Recent work explores how online experimental methods and cognitive load influence pragmatic reasoning. His research bridges formal linguistic theory with empirical cognitive science approaches.

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Guillaume ThomasView profile

Associate Professor

University of TorontoCanada

Guillaume Thomas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on the study of meaning (semantics and pragmatics) in relation to morphosyntactic structures, particularly in Mbyá Guaraní, a Tupí-Guaraní language spoken in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. He combines corpus linguistics and digital methods with fieldwork, developing resources like dependency treebanks and morphological analyzers. His work includes language documentation projects, such as the National Inventory of the Cultural Heritage of the Guaranis in Brazil, which involved community-based documentation of oral traditions. His research interests also encompass usage-based approaches, probabilistic models in language analysis, and the interface between semantics and syntax. Education: PhD in Linguistics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Research Interests: Cross-linguistic semantics and pragmatics Morphosyntax and its interface with meaning Language documentation and digital linguistics Corpus-based methods and computational tools for endangered languages Funding: Supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Connaught Fund. His work integrates theoretical linguistics with practical applications in language preservation and computational modeling. Labs/Teams: He collaborates with the Indigenous Museum of Rio de Janeiro on documentation projects and contributes to the Universal Dependencies project for syntactic annotation.

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Sunil BhattView profile

Associate Professor

University of British ColumbiaCanada

Sunil Bhatt is an Associate Professor of Teaching specializing in Hindi-Urdu language instruction within the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts. With a background in Comparative Linguistics and experience teaching South Asian languages across multiple continents, he brings a unique perspective to language education. His research focuses on linguistics, particularly Hindi-Urdu language teaching, sociolinguistics, and language acquisition. He has published extensively on topics including honorifics in Hindi, bilingual situations in India, and the integration of Bollywood culture in language instruction. His work demonstrates a commitment to understanding the complex sociopolitical dimensions of language teaching in South Asian contexts. Bhatt's recent publications reveal a consistent focus on pedagogical approaches to Hindi-Urdu instruction, with emphasis on heritage learners, pandemic-era teaching adaptations, and the relationship between language and cultural identity. His research spans theoretical linguistics, applied language teaching, and sociolinguistic analysis of language communities. As an educator, he teaches foundational and advanced courses including Introductory Hindi-Urdu, Sufi and Bhakti Devotional Literatures, and Introduction to Hindi Film, demonstrating his integration of language instruction with cultural studies. His scholarly contributions extend beyond traditional publications to include textbooks, edited volumes, and digital learning resources that have significantly impacted Hindi-Urdu language pedagogy internationally.

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Ana Teresa Pérez-LerouxView profile

Professor

University of TorontoCanada

Ana Teresa Pérez-Leroux is a Professor of Spanish and Linguistics and Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Toronto . She also serves as Director of the Cognitive Science Program. Her research focuses on child language acquisition, bilingualism, and Spanish syntax, with an emphasis on understanding how children learn complex grammatical structures. She holds a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Key affiliations include the Faculty of Arts and Science , where she has been a professor since 2009, and leadership roles such as Chair of Spanish and Portuguese (2019–present) and Director of Cognitive Science (2014–2019). Earlier roles include Visiting Professorships at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Michigan State University. Research Interests : Her work investigates syntactic and semantic development in monolingual and bilingual children, particularly recursion in noun phrases, clitic usage, and tense/mood systems. Recent projects include SSHRC-funded studies on noun phrase complexity ($158,848, 2014–2018), revealing insights into recursive structures across languages like Japanese, German, French, Spanish, and English. Grants and Collaborations : Co-PI on SSHRC Insight Grant exploring recursive embedding in children. Collaborators include Susana Bejar, Diane Massam, and Yves Roberge. Supervises over 20 graduate students and has published extensively in Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Linguistics , and Language . Education : PhD in Hispanic Linguistics (1993), MA in Spanish & Linguistics (1992), both from UMass Amherst. BA in Modern Languages (1983) from Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo.

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Robert StaintonView profile

Professor

Western UniversityCanada

Robert Stainton is a Canadian philosopher and Distinguished University Professor at the Department of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario since 2004. His work intersects philosophy of language, theoretical linguistics, and cognitive science. Education: BA (Glendon College, York University), PhD (MIT) Research areas: Syntax-semantics-pragmatics boundaries, metaphysical grounding of linguistic facts, clinical pragmatics (Autism communication deficits), history of philosophy of language Supervision: Philosophy of language, linguistics, epistemology, philosophy of mind Awards: Royal Society of Canada (2012) Grants: SSHRC Insight Grant for "Metaphysics and Epistemology of Languages" (2020s project with Christopher Viger) His recent publications focus on meaning pluralism, assertion theory, and historical analysis of language philosophy. His work bridges mainstream and clinical linguistic analysis. Award: Royal Society of Canada. The summary of publications shows expertise in language theory, pragmatics, and cognitive philosophy. He actively contributes to philosophy of language and linguistics through research grants and collaborations.

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Brendan S. GillonView profile

Professor

McGill UniversityCanada

Brendan S. Gillon is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at McGill University, Montreal. His research focuses on semantics, pragmatics, and formal methods in linguistics, with notable contributions to the study of classical Indian logic and Sanskrit grammar. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from MIT (1984) and has taught at MIT, University of Alberta, University of Toronto, and McGill since 1991. His work bridges linguistics and philosophy, addressing topics like the semantics of noun phrases, context sensitivity, and cross-cultural language studies. Education: PhD in Philosophy (MIT, 1984), MA in East Asian Studies (University of Michigan, 1975), MA in Sanskrit/Indian Studies (University of Toronto, 1979) Fellowships: Senior Research Fellow at American Institute of Indian Studies (1986-1987), Numata Fellow at Ryokoku University (2006) Research interests include the semantics-pragmatics distinction, mass-count noun distinctions, and formal methods applied to syntax and semantics. Collaborations include projects on lexical semantics and brain-language interactions. He has advised numerous PhD students on topics ranging from comparative linguistics to historical theories of language. Publications span over 50 articles and edited volumes, including Semantics: A Reader (Oxford UP, 2004) and works on Dharmakīrti’s logic and classical Sanskrit grammar. His lectures have been delivered globally, emphasizing interdisciplinary connections between linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science.

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Ai TaniguchiView profile

Assistant Professor

University of TorontoCanada

Ai Taniguchi is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Department of Language Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga, specializing in English Language Linguistics and Online Teaching. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Linguistics from Michigan State University, where she worked under Marcin Morzycki, an MA in Linguistics from the same institution, and a BA (Highest Honours) in Linguistics and French from the University of Georgia. Her research expertise spans formal semantics and pragmatics, with particular focus on non-at-issue meaning, social meaning, and dynamic semantics. She explores what kinds of meaning exist in language beyond literal, at-issue meanings and how they can be formally modeled. Her work includes investigations of Japanese linguistic phenomena such as sentence-final particles, role language ( yakuwarigo ), and pejorative language use. Taniguchi's pedagogical work is equally innovative, combining linguistics with visual arts to create accessible educational content. She uses comics and other visual media to communicate complex linguistic concepts to broader audiences through her LingComics projects. Her teaching interests include equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization in linguistics education, public outreach, and innovative online teaching methods for large introductory courses. Her publications and research demonstrate a consistent pattern connecting formal linguistic theory with practical applications in education and public communication. She has co-authored Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition), an open educational resource that makes linguistics accessible to wider audiences, reflecting her commitment to public linguistics and educational equity. LSA 2019: 5-Minute Linguist (winner) University of Toronto International Student Experience Fund (2022-2023) eCampusOntario Virtual Learning Strategy grant (2021-2022) As a teaching-focused faculty member, Taniguchi has developed numerous courses including LIN204 (English Grammar I), LIN205 (English Grammar II), LIN337 (Lexical Semantics), LIN338 (Pragmatics), and LIN452 (Communicating English Language Linguistics). Her pedagogical approach emphasizes authentic assessment, justice-centered curriculum development, and the integration of visual arts into linguistic instruction. Taniguchi maintains an active presence in both academic and public spheres, with media appearances, public lectures, and high school outreach programs in the Greater Toronto Area. Her work bridges the gap between specialized linguistic research and public understanding through creative communication methods.

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Suzi LimaView profile

Associate Professor

University of TorontoCanada

Suzi Lima is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto. She holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Her research focuses on cross-linguistic semantics, integrating theoretical and experimental approaches to explore how languages encode semantic representations across domains such as counting, measuring, and language acquisition. She has expertise in Brazilian indigenous languages like Yudja and Kaingang, emphasizing documentation, syntax, and psycholinguistic experimentation. Education: PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2020s), and BA/PhD from the University of São Paulo. Her work bridges formal semantics with empirical methods, addressing topics like the mass-count distinction, pluractionality, and experimental design in descriptive linguistics. She collaborates on language documentation projects and pedagogical materials for endangered languages. Research highlights include studies on Yudja’s quotative structures, experimental investigations of Brazilian Portuguese syntax, and typological analyses of nominal classification systems. Her articles reflect engagement with both theoretical frameworks and applied linguistic challenges, particularly in understudied indigenous languages. Her contributions emphasize collaborative fieldwork and interdisciplinary methods, advancing understanding of linguistic diversity and its cognitive foundations. Current projects explore language endangerment and revitalization strategies, alongside studies on linguistic universals in counting and measurement systems.

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Oriana Kilbourn-CeronView profile

Research Fellow

McGill UniversityCanada

Oriana Kilbourn-Ceron is a Research Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at Northwestern University, where she works with Matt Goldrick at SoundLab. Previously, she completed her PhD at McGill University and taught undergraduate courses at Concordia University. Her research focuses on phonology, phonetics, and speech production, investigating how speakers' planning processes influence pronunciation. She uses acoustic corpus analysis and production experiments to explore topics like the impact of cognitive load on phonetic variation and the interplay between predictability and allophonic realization. Kilbourn-Ceron’s work bridges theoretical linguistics with experimental methodologies, addressing questions about the dynamic nature of speech production. Her academic contributions span diverse linguistic phenomena, including Japanese vowel devoicing, French liaison processes, and second-language speech planning. Notably, she has demonstrated how production planning locality influences phonological variability, offering novel insights into the mechanisms behind speech production. Kilbourn-Ceron actively collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and maintains an open-science approach, sharing data and scripts via her OSF profile.

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Michael WagnerView profile

Professor

McGill UniversityCanada

Michael Wagner is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Linguistics at McGill University. He holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on prosody-syntax-semantics interfaces, phonology, and experimental methods in language processing. He leads the Prosody Lab and has developed tools like the Montreal Forced Aligner for speech analysis. Research Interests : Prosody's role in syntax and semantics, phonological variation, experimental approaches to language processing, and computational methods in linguistic analysis. His work combines formal theoretical frameworks with empirical methods from psycholinguistics and phonetics. Education : PhD in Linguistics, MIT Labs/Tools : Prosody Lab, Montreal Forced Aligner (speech alignment software) Key Contributions : Pioneering work on prosodic parsing mechanisms, intonation semantics, and cross-linguistic variation in focus marking Publications from 2020-2023 highlight advancements in understanding prosody's role in sentence processing, experimental methods for quantifying focus marking, and computational tools for linguistic research.

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Catherine LégerView profile

Associate Professor

University of VictoriaCanada

Catherine Léger is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures. Her research and teaching focus on French linguistics, particularly syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and contact linguistics in Acadian French and North American Francophone communities. Her academic expertise includes analyzing discursive markers like voir , en seulement , and tu in Acadian French, examining their pragmatic functions and role in linguistic insecurity. She has also contributed to edited volumes on morphosyntactic and pragmatic variation in Francophone Minority Communities. Recent publications highlight her work on cross-linguistic discourse markers, language ideologies in Acadian literature, and stative constraints in French verbs. Her research is supported by a SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2022–2024, extended to 2026).

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Jila GhomeshiView profile

Professor

University of ManitobaCanada

Jila Ghomeshi is a Professor and Associate Dean (Curriculum and Programs) in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba, holding a position in the Department of Linguistics. She holds a PhD (1996), MA (1990), and BA (1988) in Linguistics from the University of Toronto and York University, respectively. Her research focuses on syntax, morphology, and Persian linguistics, with specializations in understudied languages and constructions like pronouns, reduplication, and prescriptivism. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and sociolinguistics, exploring topics such as morphological homophony, associative plurals, and language policy. She currently serves as President (2023–25) of the Canadian Linguistic Association. Notable awards include the 2014 National Achievement Award from the Canadian Linguistic Association. Ghomeshi’s outreach includes publications like Grammar Matters (2010) and articles addressing terminology usage in societal contexts. Her research emphasizes underrepresented linguistic phenomena, contributing to both formal syntactic theory and applied linguistics. She is not currently accepting graduate students.

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Brett ReynoldsView profile

Adjunct Professor

University of TorontoCanada

Brett Reynolds is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus). His research focuses on English syntax, particularly determiners, pronouns, and syntactic annotation. He explores intersections between cognitive and functional linguistics, and questions regarding the philosophy of grammaticality. Fields: Applied Linguistics, Syntax, Syntactic Annotation Key Interests: Determiner systems, functional syntax, cross-disciplinary grammatical theory His recent publications (2021-2025) analyze negation structures across languages, adverbial categorization debates, and introductory syntax pedagogy. No major awards are listed, though his work contributes to foundational linguistic theory. No advising/grants information available. Research activities include treebanking projects and theoretical syntax development.

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Antoine VenantView profile

Adjunct Professor

University of MontrealCanada

Antoine Venant is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Translation at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He serves as Deputy Director of the OLST (Observatoire de Linguistique Sens-Texte). His expertise spans computational linguistics, syntax-pragmatics interface, and syntax-semantics interface. He teaches advanced courses in semantics, pragmatics, and natural language processing. Research interests include discourse analysis, game-theoretic pragmatics, and NLP applications. He leads or co-leads multiple research projects funded by agencies like FRQSC and SSHRC, focusing on lexical analysis, model evaluation, and Bayesian reasoning in discourse. Recent projects include assessing latent structure models using artificial datasets and measuring lexical aptitude of generative language models. Supervised Theses : Three Master's theses (2023-2024) addressing pragmatic models, discourse coherence, and danmaku comment classification. Grants : Over $1M in research funding from Canadian federal and provincial agencies. Affiliations : Deputy Director at OLST; collaborator in interdisciplinary projects bridging linguistics, computer science, and cognitive neuroscience. His work integrates formal linguistic theory with computational methods, producing tools for evaluating NLP systems and advancing discourse theory through Bayesian modeling frameworks.

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Raj SinghView profile

Associate Professor

Carleton UniversityCanada

Raj Singh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at Carleton University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He holds a PhD from MIT and specializes in Semantics, Pragmatics, Psycholinguistics, and Philosophical Logic. His research explores topics such as presupposition accommodation, scalar implicatures, and experimental methods in semantics. Education: PhD in Linguistics, MIT Research interests include formal semantics, the interface between syntax and semantics, and experimental approaches to pragmatic reasoning. Notably, he investigates how contextual factors influence presupposition resolution and implicature computation. His work often employs interdisciplinary methods, combining formal analysis with psycholinguistic experiments. Collaborations with researchers like Roni Katzir, Ida Toivonen, and others highlight his contributions to understanding linguistic structure and cognitive processing. His research has been published in leading journals like Natural Language Semantics , Journal of Semantics , and Frontiers in Psychology . Labs/Teams: While no specific lab is mentioned, his work aligns with the broader activities of Carleton’s Institute of Cognitive Science.

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