Carmel O’Shannessy

Carmel O’Shannessy is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University’s School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics and an affiliate of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL). Her work focuses on language contact, mixed languages, and child language acquisition, particularly in Indigenous Australian communities.

• Education:
  • PhD in Linguistics (University of Sydney, Australia; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Netherlands, 2007)

She has documented the development of Light Warlpiri, a new mixed language, since its emergence. Her research explores how children and adults contribute to contact-induced language change, with fieldwork in Central Australia since 1996. Key projects include her ARC Future Fellowship grant for tracking Indigenous children’s language development.

Recent publications span topics like typology of Australian contact languages, child-directed speech modifications in Warlpiri, and sociolinguistic dynamics of youth language varieties. Her work appears in journals such as Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages and Languages, as well as edited volumes like The Oxford Guide to Australian Languages.

• Scientific Awards:
  • ARC Future Fellowship

She has mentored students including Francois-Xavier Faucounau, Annie Kwai, and Zobule. Her interdisciplinary approach combines linguistic analysis, digital tools (e.g., the Little Kids Learning Languages app), and community collaboration.

• Labs/Teams:
  • ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL)