معرفی
Vera Kempe is a Professor of Psychology and Language Learning in the Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences at Abertay University. She is a leading researcher in language acquisition, cognitive development, and bilingualism, with a strong publication record in top-tier journals such as Cognition, Journal of Experimental Psychology, and Frontiers in Psychology.
Her research interests focus on language development, child-directed speech, second language acquisition, dialect processing, and the cognitive mechanisms underlying language learning. She investigates how linguistic input, cognitive abilities, and social factors shape language acquisition across the lifespan. Her work often employs experimental and computational methods to understand the emergence of structure in language.
Recent publications highlight trends in iterated language learning, artificial language paradigms, literacy acquisition, and the role of teaching and social interaction in language evolution. Her research bridges developmental psychology, cognitive science, and linguistics, contributing to both theoretical and applied understanding of language.
Vera Kempe has co-edited the Encyclopedia of Language Development and contributed to major handbooks. She has supervised numerous research projects and collaborated widely with scholars across Europe and North America.
- Editorial Roles: Guest editor for special issues on emergentist approaches and self-domestication in language evolution.
- Research Leadership: Pioneered studies on dialect exposure and literacy, iterated teaching, and the cognitive effects of music training on language learning.
- Open Science Advocacy: Contributed to the CHILDES project and promotes preprint peer review in undergraduate education.
- Key Labs/Teams: Collaborates with researchers at Abertay University and international institutions on projects involving artificial language learning, dialect variation, and child language development.
