Find Academic Supervisors

• Dutch Linguistics
• Language Acquisition
• Theoretical Linguistics
• +3 more

Dr. Caitlin Meyer is an Assistant Professor of Dutch Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam (UVA), specializing in language acquisition and theoretical linguistics. Her research focuses on syntactic development, numerical cognition, and pragmatic particle usage in Dutch, with significant contributions to understanding verb clusters and ordinal number acquisition. Education: PhD in Linguistics from UVA Research: Language acquisition, Dutch syntax, cognitive development, experimental linguistics Collaborations: Engaged with Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) for interdisciplinary research Her recent publications analyze Dutch verb cluster acquisition (2015-2020), ordinal number learning strategies (2016-2021), and pragmatic particle development (2017). She employs experimental methods and cross-linguistic comparisons in her work, leveraging LUCL's Phonetics, EEG, and Eye-tracking labs. While no formal awards are listed in this dataset, her research has been published in key academic outlets. She contributes to teaching through formal programs at University of Amsterdam and participates in LUCL's educational initiatives.

• First language acquisition
• Tense and aspect
• Telicity
• +7 more

Dr. Angeliek van Hout is a faculty member at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, where she leads the Acquisition Lab within the Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG). Her academic profile centers on experimental research into first language acquisition in typically developing monolingual children, employing a crosslinguistic perspective to investigate fundamental aspects of language development. Her research expertise spans multiple interconnected domains of linguistic development: Temporal reference (tense and aspect, telicity, event culmination) Nominal reference (definiteness, quantification) Syntactic structures (questions, passives, pronouns) Pragmatic reasoning (scalar implicatures, theory of mind) Dr. van Hout's methodological approach integrates formal linguistic theory with empirical experimentation, examining how children acquire complex linguistic structures across different languages. Her recent work demonstrates particular focus on logical operators and their interpretation in child language, with extensive crosslinguistic comparisons examining how children process disjunction under negation in Dutch, French, Hungarian, and Italian. She investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying these linguistic phenomena, bridging theoretical linguistics with cognitive science. Her publication record shows consistent productivity with 89 research outputs including 25 articles, 23 conference contributions, and 20 book chapters. Notable recent publications include work on prosodic disambiguation in Dutch, free choice interpretation in French children, and crosslinguistic patterns in quantifier acquisition. Dr. van Hout actively contributes to the academic community through: Supervision of PhD students (4 supervised works documented) Editorial work including the TABU Festschrift for Jack Hoeksema Organizing academic events such as "Novel Semantic Research in Theory, Processing and L1 Acquisition" Presenting research at international conferences including the Boston University Conference on Language Development Her research has practical applications in understanding typical language development trajectories, which she communicates to broader audiences through public engagement activities. She has presented on language development in twins at multiple public events and participated in the NEMO Science Live initiative from 2016-2018, demonstrating commitment to knowledge transfer beyond academic circles. As leader of the Acquisition Lab, Dr. van Hout directs research examining how children develop linguistic competence across various domains, with particular attention to the interface between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in early language development.

• First language acquisition
• Syntax
• Semantics
• +5 more

Dr. A.M.H. van Hout is a Professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen, leading the Acquisition Lab within the Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG). Their research focuses on first language acquisition in monolingual children, particularly exploring temporal and nominal reference, tense/aspect, telicity, definiteness, and crosslinguistic variation. Key areas include syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and theory of mind reasoning in child language development. Research activities include cross-linguistic studies in Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, and others, with emphasis on disjunction interpretation, negation scope, and tense systems. Collaborations involve international teams and comparative studies. Publications span 89 works, including peer-reviewed articles and conference contributions. Van Hout actively participates in academic events, editorial work, and public engagement initiatives on child language topics. Supervision activities include mentoring students in language acquisition research. The Acquisition Lab serves as a hub for experimental studies on child language development, integrating formal linguistic theories with empirical methods.

Schuyler LaparleView profile

Lecturer

• Cognitive Linguistics
• Gesture Studies
• Metaphor Analysis
• +3 more

Schuyler Laparle is a Lecturer at Tilburg University's Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD), affiliated with the Department of Communication and Cognition. His research focuses on gesture studies, cognitive linguistics, metaphor analysis, and discourse analysis. He teaches courses such as Nonverbal Communication and Academic English. His research explores how gestures shape conversation coherence, metaphor use in climate communication, and semiotic complexity in multimodal interaction. Recent publications analyze gestural discourse markers, multimodal AI challenges, and frame-based gesture semantics. He has received the LOT Grotevragenprijs (2023) for collaborative work on linguistic AI questions. Laparle actively participates in academic activities, including organizing conferences like 'Communicating Climate Hope' (2024) and presenting at international forums on gesture analysis and metaphor studies. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in discourse and multimodal communication.

• Syntax
• Generative Grammar
• Syntax-Semantics Interface
• +5 more

Marta Massaia is a Researcher at Utrecht University's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication. She is affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences and conducts research under the NWO-funded Mind your Manner Adverbials (MiMA) project. Education: BA and MA from Ca' Foscari University of Venice Research Interests: Marta specializes in comparative Germanic syntax, focusing on similative constructions, adverbial clauses, and their syntactic interfaces (syntax/semantics/pragmatics). Her work examines the left periphery of adverbial clauses, dialectal variation in Dutch, and the morphosyntactic properties of manner adverbials. Publications: Her 2025 article on similative constructions in Dutch dialects synthesizes theoretical and comparative approaches to Germanic syntax. Her presentations explore topics like mood alternations in simulative clauses, decomposition of manner adverbials, and cross-Germanic adverbial clause structures. Collaborations: Co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Norbert Corver (Utrecht) and Prof. Dr. Denis Delfitto (Verona), Marta co-organizes the Syntax Interface Lectures and participates in the international network Adverbial Clauses and their Dependency Relationships . She has held visiting researcher positions at MIT (2024) and the University of Verona (2023). Academic Engagements: Marta has presented keynote talks at the MiMA-workshop, Germanic Sandwich, and the Crete Summer School of Linguistics. She actively participates in workshops like LOT Summer School, MIT's SyntaxLab, and conferences on adverbial clause dependency relationships.

• French Linguistics
• Semantics
• Tense and Aspect
• +7 more

Henriette de Swart is a full Professor of French Linguistics and Semantics at Utrecht University , affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences . Her research spans cross-linguistic semantics , focusing on tense and aspect , negation , and bare nominals , while integrating artificial intelligence methodologies. She has made significant contributions to bidirectional optimality theory and language evolution studies.

Petra HendriksView profile

Professor

• Linguistics
• Semantics
• Pragmatics
• +3 more

Prof. dr. Petra Hendriks is a Professor of Semantics and Cognition at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen. She leads the Semantics and Cognition group within the Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG). Her research focuses on semantics, pragmatics, language development, and cognitive science, with a particular emphasis on language abilities in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She directs the NWO project 'Unraveling Language Learning in Autism' (2025–2030) and chairs the CLCG (2024–2028). Her academic affiliations include membership in the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW, since 2016), the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW, since 2013), and Academia Europaea (since 2025). Key research contributions include studies on pronoun interpretation in children and adults, language processing in ASD, and cognitive modeling of reference systems. She has supervised over 20 PhD students and collaborates with institutions globally, including Stanford University and the University of Oldenburg.

Maria AloniView profile

Associate Professor

• Formal semantics and pragmatics
• Philosophical logic
• Philosophy of language
• +8 more

Maria Aloni is an Associate Professor of Logic and Language at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. She holds dual affiliations with the Formal Semantics & Philosophical Logic (FSPL) research unit as her primary affiliation and the Epistemology & Philosophy of Science (EPS) unit as her secondary affiliation. Her research bridges formal semantics, philosophical logic, and the philosophy of language, with particular expertise in quantification, modality, and the interpretation of indefinite expressions. She currently leads the N∅thing is Logical (NihiL) project, which investigates cognitive tendencies to neglect empty representations and their effects on reasoning and interpretation. Aloni completed her PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2001 with the thesis "Quantification under Conceptual Covers," which won the prestigious E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize in 2002. Her academic trajectory includes significant research funding: an NWO Veni grant (2004-2007) for "Semantic Structure and Dynamics in Natural Language Interpretation," an NWO Vidi grant (2007-2012) as Principal Investigator for "Indefinites and beyond. Evolutionary pragmatics and typological semantics," and the current NWO Open Competition Grant (since 2023) for the NihiL project. Her research spans formal semantics and pragmatics, with specific expertise in quantification, modals, propositional attitudes, reference, indefinites, disjunction, indexicals, questions, imperatives, and various semantic phenomena including free choice, exhaustification, and presupposition. She employs diverse methodologies including formal modeling, corpus analysis, and experimental approaches to investigate how linguistic meaning is constructed and interpreted across different contexts and languages. Aloni's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the "neglect-zero" hypothesis, examining how cognitive tendencies to ignore empty representations affect interpretation of quantifiers, disjunction, and free choice phenomena. Her work also explores cross-linguistic and diachronic dimensions of indefinites, investigating how pragmatic inferences become conventionalized in language through historical processes. Scientific awards: E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize (2002) for "Quantification under Conceptual Covers" As an educator, Aloni coordinates the MoL Graduation Trajectory for Master of Logic students and teaches courses including "Introduction to Logic" and specialized seminars on semantics and philosophy. She has supervised numerous Master's theses in the Logic program, with recent students exploring topics related to free choice phenomena, perspective shifts, and linguistic semantics. Her research is supported by significant grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and previously from the European Union. Aloni is a key member of the Formal Semantics & Philosophical Logic research unit at ILLC and collaborates extensively with international researchers. Her current NihiL project brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science to investigate the cognitive foundations of logical reasoning and its divergence from everyday reasoning patterns.

Floris RoelofsenView profile

Professor

• Inquisitive Semantics
• Formal Semantics
• Linguistic Meaning
• +12 more

Floris Roelofsen is a Professor at the Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation (ILLC), part of the Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Amsterdam. His research centers on expanding semantic theories beyond truth-conditional content, particularly in the interpretation of questions and the formal modeling of meaning through inquisitive semantics. He also investigates sign languages, especially the Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), aiming to deepen linguistic understanding and reduce communication barriers between deaf and hearing communities. Professor, ILLC, University of Amsterdam (2023–present) Associate Professor, ILLC, University of Amsterdam (2015–2023) Assistant Professor, ILLC, University of Amsterdam (2013–2015) Postdoctoral Researcher, ILLC (2010–2013) Visiting Assistant Professor, UMass Amherst (2009–2010) Roelofsen’s research interests include inquisitive semantics, formal semantics, questions in language, sign language linguistics, and computational models of meaning. He explores how linguistic meaning goes beyond truth conditions to include information-seeking functions, and how sign languages make grammatical structures visually accessible. His work integrates theoretical linguistics, logic, philosophy, and artificial intelligence. The most recent publications reflect a growing trend toward interdisciplinary research combining formal semantics with computational and experimental methods, particularly in sign language processing, annotation, and translation technology. Themes include polar questions in NGT, sign spotting, text-to-sign translation, and the semantics of attitude predicates across languages. NWO VICI Grant (2021, 1.5 million euro) ERC Starting Grant (2016, 1.4 million euro) NWO VIDI Grant (2015, 800,000 euro) NWO VENI Grant (2012, 250,000 euro) Roelofsen has advised 6 PhD students and 6 postdoctoral researchers, and supervised over 10 master’s and bachelor’s theses. He leads the SignLab Amsterdam initiative, which develops machine translation tools using animated avatars to translate Dutch and English into NGT. He is also the principal investigator of major projects such as 'Language Sciences for Social Good' and the NWO VICI project on questions in sign language. His editorial work includes serving as Associate Editor for the Journal of Semantics since 2018.

• Linguistics
• Semantics
• Syntax
• +7 more

Dr. Fabienne Martin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication at Utrecht University. She is affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences, focusing on the intersection of linguistics, philosophy, experimental psychology, and digital humanities. Her primary languages of investigation include French, Italian, Spanish, English, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Brazilian Portuguese. Linguistics: Semantics (syntax/semantics/pragmatics interfaces) Lexical Semantics and Morphosyntax First Language Acquisition Her research explores semantic phenomena across languages, particularly causation, aspect, and modality. Recent work includes studies on prepositional cycles in French, inchoative transitives, and agency effects in causation. She investigates how children acquire complex syntactic structures and how agentivity influences linguistic patterns. Her publications span topics like morphosyntactic development, anticausative constructions, and lexical aspect. She collaborates with researchers in theoretical and computational linguistics, often integrating experimental methods. Her teaching includes courses on linguistics and French language.

• Bilingualism
• Psycholinguistics
• First Language Acquisition
• +5 more

Dr. Luisa Meroni is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication within the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on language acquisition, processing and disorders, with specialization in Italian language studies. Her areas of expertise include Bilingualism , Psycholinguistics , First Language Acquisition , Sentence Processing , and Second Language Acquisition . Dr. Meroni's work primarily investigates how children and adults process linguistic information, with particular attention to semantic constraints, logical expressions, and ambiguities in language. Her research employs experimental methodologies including eye-tracking to examine real-time language processing. Recent work has expanded to include cross-linguistic studies, particularly examining Mandarin Chinese collectives and Dutch language structures. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on the interface between linguistic theory and experimental evidence in language acquisition. Among her notable scientific contributions are studies on scalar implicatures, epistemic modals, and the acquisition of modality in Dutch. She has received research funding including a European Science Foundation grant and a Marie Curie grant. Dr. Meroni is actively involved in the academic community through conference organization (including Going Romance 2018), editorial work, and numerous invited presentations at international conferences. She has supervised research projects and collaborated with scholars internationally, particularly in studies involving Mandarin Chinese and Dutch language structures.

• Linguistics
• Information Structure
• Syntax-Semantics-Pragmatics Interface
• +7 more

Dr. Stefan Sudhoff is an Assistant Professor in German Linguistics at Utrecht University's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication. He is affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences and specializes in Language Structure: Variation and Change. His research focuses on information structure, specifically how the function of sentences within coherent discourse is reflected in grammatical form. His expertise spans multiple areas including syntax-semantics-pragmatics interfaces, language acquisition, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, morphosyntax, semantics, prosody, and pragmatics. His work examines how sentences vary in word order and intonation depending on linguistic and non-linguistic context, using both theoretical work and empirical methods including corpus studies and speech production/perception experiments. His publication record shows a significant evolution from early work on focus particles in German (culminating in his 2008 dissertation) to broader research on multilingualism, language education, and linguistic structure. Recent publications (2022-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on multilingualism in academic settings, particularly through the Lingua Receptiva approach, alongside continued contributions to language teaching materials for Dutch as a foreign language. Dr. Sudhoff has been actively involved in the Dynamics of Youth (DoY) research theme and Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) at Utrecht University, with research that bridges theoretical linguistics and practical applications in language education and multilingual university environments. His work combines theoretical linguistic research with practical applications in language education, as evidenced by his numerous language teaching materials alongside academic publications. He has made significant contributions to understanding how information structure operates across languages and in multilingual contexts, with implications for both linguistic theory and language education practice.

Aoju ChenView profile

Professor

• Language Acquisition
• Prosody
• Language Processing
• +7 more

Prof. Aoju Chen is a Professor of English Linguistics: Language Development at Utrecht University's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication. She holds a VICI Grant (2021-2026) investigating prosodic development in early childhood and leads the NWO-funded VIDI project (2011-2016) on prosodic focus marking in children. Her research focuses on prosody's role in first and second language acquisition, with interdisciplinary projects in the Dynamics of Youth strategic theme exploring prosody's link to children's sense of belonging. Her expertise spans Information Structure, Language Comprehension, and Phonology, with a strong emphasis on cross-linguistic studies. Key projects include prenatal prosody acquisition and robot-assisted language learning. She has published extensively on prosodic focus marking, intonation, and bilingualism, with over 50 peer-reviewed articles since 2004. Awards include prestigious NWO grants and contributions to Oxford Handbook of Language Prosody (2020). Her research integrates experimental methods with computational prosody analysis, addressing both theoretical and applied questions in developmental linguistics. She leads the English Linguistics: Language Development chair and collaborates with robotics teams to apply prosody insights in educational technology. Her work bridges phonetics, psychology, and education, emphasizing real-world applications for language learning and child development.

Bart HollebrandseView profile

Assistant Professor

• Linguistics
• Child Language
• Syntax
• +5 more

Dr. Bart Hollebrandse is an Assistant Professor (tenured) in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Groningen, Faculty of Arts. His research focuses on Linguistics, Child Language, Syntax, Semantics, and Cognition, with a particular emphasis on recursion, quantification, and the relationship between language and Theory of Mind. He has held academic positions since 2000, including roles at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Smith College. Education: PhD in Linguistics (2000), University of Massachusetts Amherst MA in Linguistics (1993), Tilburg University Civil Engineering (1985), Delft University of Technology Research Interests: Hollebrandse investigates language acquisition, syntactic recursion, quantifier interpretation, and the role of language in cognitive development. He collaborates internationally, including with the University of Nantes and UMass Amherst. His work bridges experimental methods (e.g., eye-tracking) with formal linguistic theory. Key Awards: Drongo Award (2014) for outreach at Science Nemo Grants: CHLaSC (€1.5M), Alpha-stimulation (€75k), and multiple NWO/National Science Foundation projects Advising & Grants: Supervised over 50 theses, advised PhD committees globally, and led projects on recursion and quantification. His grants include CHLaSC (2006–2009) and collaborations with institutions like the University of Western Australia. Labs & Teams: Member of the Center for Language and Cognition Groningen and the School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. Active in experimental linguistics, including iPad game-based studies on recursion and cognitive development.

Anna de KosterView profile

Researcher

• Linguistics
• Cognitive Modelling
• Language Acquisition/Development
• +3 more

Dr. Anna de Koster serves as an Academic Advisor in the Department of Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering. Her role includes academic advising for students and program management within the Physics cluster. She holds a PhD and has conducted extensive research at the intersection of Linguistics, Cognitive Modelling, and Artificial Intelligence. Her research focuses on language acquisition and distributivity in sentence interpretation, particularly in children and adults. She employs experimental methods to investigate how cognitive processes like working memory influence semantic interpretations. Her work combines empirical studies with computational modeling, bridging linguistics, psychology, and computer science. Anna collaborates within the Physics cluster team, contributing to programme coordination and academic support alongside colleagues like Prof. Diederik Roest and MSc Bo Slot. She has been affiliated with the Optical Condensed Matter Physics group and has held past research roles in language acquisition. Her publications (2015-2022) explore distributivity in language processing, collective interpretations, and the cognitive mechanisms behind syntactic-semantic interactions. Though no scientific awards are noted, her interdisciplinary research reflects significant contributions to understanding language development and cognitive modeling.