Erika PETROCCHI

Erika PETROCCHI is a Research Fellow at the Department of Comparative Linguistic and Cultural Studies of Ca' Foscari University of Venice. She is actively involved in the PRIN project "RUM. Rethinking Understanding Modal Particles" (CUP N. H53D23004410006), focusing on experimental studies of modal particles in relation to prosody and gesture. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Linguistics (2022) from Ca' Foscari University, a Master's in Language Sciences (2017), and a Bachelor's in Modern Literature (2014) from the University of Florence.

• Education
  • Bachelor's Degree in Modern Literature (2014), University of Florence
  • Master's Degree in Language Sciences (2017), Ca' Foscari University of Venice
  • PhD in Linguistics (2022), Ca' Foscari University of Venice

Her research spans multimodality in grammar, with a focus on the syntax and pragmatics of expressive language, particularly examining Italian Sign Language (LIS), gestures, and the prosody-syntax interface. She has conducted research at institutions including the University of Verona, the University of Crete (Philology Department), and the University of Padua's Language and Communication Lab (LCL).

Erika's publications include studies on ERP experiments for surprise expression, theoretical analyses of LIS syntax, and interdisciplinary contributions to border studies. Her teaching experience includes roles as Tutor and Senior Teaching Assistant at Ca' Foscari University of Venice (2019-2022) and Adjunct Professor positions at the University of Padua (2021-2022, 2024-2025).

She contributes to projects involving modal particles, multimodal grammar, and the linguistic-cognitive interface, working with a research team comprising Prof. Federica Cognola, Prof. Alessandra Giorgi, and others.