معرفی
Rosalind Thornton is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University, affiliated with the Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS). Her research focuses on children's acquisition of syntax, semantics, and morphology within the framework of Universal Grammar, particularly in relation to language delay (specific language impairment). She has contributed significantly to understanding innate linguistic knowledge versus environmental learning through experimental studies with young children.
Her research interests include the syntax-semantics interface, cross-linguistic studies (e.g., Mandarin, Turkish), and the implications of child language data for theoretical syntax. Notably, she has explored how children with language impairments process negation, disjunction, and syntactic structures.
Rosie has led several funded projects, including 'Unexpected Wide Scope Phenomena in Child Language' (2020–2022) and 'CLaS - MQRC' (2019–2021). Her publications span experimental methods, parameter setting in Universal Grammar, and language disorders. Despite no longer supervising students, her work has shaped understanding of linguistic deficits in children with SLI.
Collaborations include studies on MEG systems for child language research and audio-visual tools for clinical applications. She is a key figure in the intersection of formal linguistics and developmental psycholinguistics.
