• PhD: Linguistics (Bilingualism)
  University College London,
• BA: Linguistics
  University College London,

PhD supervision

• Conor Glackin: Intelligibility and communication in stressful social contexts.
• Judit Vari: Monitoring language vitality in autochthonous diglossic communities. Started 2017.
• Mara Leonardi: Trilingualism and Diglossia among the Germanic-speaking group in South Tyrol (Italy). 2012-2016.
• Abigail Ruth Price: “Is ‘reversed diglossia’ coming to Wales? Investigating the linguistic habits of adolescents in Wales and beyond.” Fully funded studentship in bilingualism, Bangor University Anniversary Scholarship. Started in September 2013.
• Lissander Brasca: Classification of Romance linguistic varieties. Started in September 2013.
• Athanasia Papastergiou: the role of educational settings in bilingual acquisition. ESRC funded PhD. Started in September 2014.

Teaching at Bangor

I teach courses on introductory linguistics, phonology, and bilingualism (from a social as well as a psycholinguistic perspective). For details, please consult the current timetable or send me a message.

• QXL1110 - Introduction to Language
• QXL2201 - Sounds and Sound Systems
• QXL33/4404 - Language Contact and Bilingualism
• QXL 1115 Intro to Phonetics and Phonology
• QXL 4432 Research Methods
• QXL33/4436 – Phonology in Bilingual Acquisition

I welcome enquiries from students interested in pursuing a PhD in the areas of:

Contested languages: intelligibility measurements and quantitative comparison of linguistic traits; intelligibility as a criterion of demarcation.

Bilingual first language acquisition: crosslinguistic interference in the acquisition of syntactic and phonological structures; bilingual acquisition in diglossic contexts.

My Research focuses on bi- and multi-lingualism, both from a mentalist/representational* perspective as well as from a sociolingusitic and comparative perspective.

Within a representational perspective, I have worked on Bilingual First Language Acquisition, particularly in relation to syntactic and phonological transfer effects in simultaneous bilinguals, but also on the acquisition and organisation of lexical properties, the nature of paradigms and of the mechanisms underlying lexical organisation (including the mapping of cross-modular information in the lexicon) and on lexical and phonological development in typically developing children and in children with SLI.

I also work on the more social and comparative aspects of bilingual development, particularly on regional and minority languages (language policy and maintenance), on issues of language diversity (the measurement of linguistic attitudes), and the diglossic/bilingual communities of Italy, but also on measuring phonetic distance in linguistic continua, and on the measurement and application of intelligibility rates as a criterion of demarcation between 'regional languages' and 'regional dialects'.

I am currently director of the International Research Network on Contested Languages.

*This approach to linguistics would often be called “cognitive” (with a small “c”) in the sense of “pertaining to the mind”, as it deals with linguistic knowledge and its mental representation, but the term is now less common due to it having become increasingly associated with the research paradigm known as “Cognitive Linguistics”.

2021

• CyhoeddwydContested Languages: The hidden multilingualism of Europe
  Tamburelli, M. (gol.) & Tosco, M. (gol.), 21 Ion 2021, John Benjamins Publishing Company. 277 t. (Studies in World Language Problems )
  Allbwn ymchwil: Llyfr/Adroddiad › Llyfr
• CyhoeddwydContested languages and the denial of linguistic rights in the 21st century
  Tamburelli, M., 21 Ion 2021, Contested Languages: The hidden multilingualism of Europe. Tamburelli, M. & Tosco, M. (gol.). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, Cyfrol 8. t. 21-39 (Studies in World Language Problems).
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Pennod
• Wedi ei Dderbyn / Yn y wasgTaking taxonomy seriously in Linguistics: intelligibility as a criterion of demarcation between languages and dialects.
  Tamburelli, M., 18 Chwef 2021, (Wedi ei Dderbyn / Yn y wasg) Yn : Lingua.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl

2020

• E-gyhoeddi cyn argraffuStandardisation: bolstering positive attitudes towards endangered language varieties? Evidence from implicit attitudes
  Vari, J. & Tamburelli, M., 7 Hyd 2020, Yn : Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydWelsh-language prestige in adolescents: attitudes in the heartlands
  Price, A. & Tamburelli, M., Gorff 2020, Yn : International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 30, 2, t. 195-213
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• Wedi ei Dderbyn / Yn y wasgWhat are contested languages and why should linguists care?
  Tamburelli, M. & Tosco, M., 2020, (Wedi ei Dderbyn / Yn y wasg) Contested Languages: The hidden multilingualism of Europe. Tamburelli, M. & Tosco, M. (gol.). John Benjamins Publishing Company, t. 1-16 (Studies in World Language Problems ; Cyfrol 8).
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Pennod

2018

• CyhoeddwydRevisiting the classification of Gallo-Italic: a dialectometric approach
  Tamburelli, M. & Brasca, L., 1 Meh 2018, Yn : Digital Scholarship in the Humanities. 33, 2, t. 442-455
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl

2016

• CyhoeddwydMinority language abandonment in Welsh-medium educated L2 male adolescents: classroom, not chatroom
  Price, A. R. & Tamburelli, M., Mai 2016, Yn : Language Culture and Curriculum. 29, 2, t. 189-2016
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydReview of Marcyliena H. Morgan, "Speech Communities"
  Tamburelli, M., Hyd 2016, Yn : Modern Language Review. 111, 4, t. 1119-21 3 t.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Adolygiad Llyfr/Ffilm/Erthygl

2014

• CyhoeddwydAcceleration in the bilingual acquisition of phonological structure: Evidence from Polish–English bilingual children
  Tamburelli, M., Sanoudaki, E., Jones, G. & Sowinska, M., 18 Tach 2014, Yn : Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. 18, 4, t. 713-725
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydUncovering the ‘hidden’ multilingualism of Europe: an Italian case study
  Tamburelli, M., 9 Ion 2014, Yn : Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 35, 3, t. 252-270
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl

2013

• CyhoeddwydGrammar in parsing and acquisition
  Chondrogianni, V. & Tamburelli, M., 1 Ion 2013, Yn : Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism. 3, 3, t. 289-295
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydLesser languages in Modern Europe: the case of Italy
  Tamburelli, M., 2013, Proceedings of the 4th ENIEDA Conference on Linguistic and Intercultural Education.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Cyfraniad i Gynhadledd

2012

• CyhoeddwydComputational modelling of phonological acquisition: Simulating error patterns in nonword repetition tasks
  Tamburelli, M., Jones, G., Gobet, F. & Pine, J. M., 1 Meh 2012, Yn : Language and Cognitive Processes. 27, 6, t. 901-946
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydDalla diglossia al bilinguismo: note sul mantenimento del patrimonio linguistico d’Italia
  Tamburelli, M., 2012, L’enseignement des langues locales Institutions, méthodes, ideologies. Rome: Aracne. Agresti, G. & De Gioia, M. (gol.).
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Cyfraniad i Gynhadledd
• CyhoeddwydInvestigating the Relationship Between Nonword Repetition Performance and Syllabic Structure in Typical and Atypical Language Development
  Tamburelli, M. & Jones, G., 28 Rhag 2012, Yn : Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl

2010

• CyhoeddwydLexical frequency in specific language impairment: accuracy and error data from two nonword repetition tests.
  Jones, G., Tamburelli, M., Watson, S. E., Gobet, F. & Pine, J. M., 1 Rhag 2010, Yn : Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.. 53, 6, t. 1642-1655
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydThe vanishing languages of Italy: Diglossia, bilingualism, and shift
  Tamburelli, M., 2010, Philologica Wratislaviensia: Acta et Studia. Proceedings of the Conference Languages in Contact 2010. Chruszczwski, P. (gol.).
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Cyfraniad i Gynhadledd

2008

• CyhoeddwydInvulnerable domains in Romance-Germanic bilingualism.
  Tamburelli, M., 1 Ion 2008, Yn : Arena Romanistica. 1, t. 144-173
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl
• CyhoeddwydThe role of paradigm formation in lexical acquisition: towards a unifed account of overgeneralization and transfer effects.
  Tamburelli, M., 1 Gorff 2008, Yn : Language Acquisition. 15, 3, t. 130-182
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl

2007

• CyhoeddwydLexical Acquisition and Simultaneous Bilingualism
  Tamburelli, M., 2007, Two or More Languages: proceedings of the 9th Nordic Conference on Bilingualism, University of Joensuu, Finland. Nikolaev, A. (gol.). Cyfrol 41.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Cyfraniad i Gynhadledd

2006

• CyhoeddwydParadigms, Acquisition and Bilingualism
  Tamburelli, M., 2006, Proceedings of the Fourth Cambridge Post-Graduate Conference in Language Research.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Pennod mewn Llyfr/Adroddiad/Trafodion Cynhadledd › Cyfraniad i Gynhadledd
• CyhoeddwydRemarks on Richness
  Tamburelli, M., 2006, UCL Working Paper Linguistics, 18.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyhoeddiad arbenigol › Erthygl

2005

• CyhoeddwydThe Importance of Paradigm Formation in Bilingual Acquisition: evidence from Italian.
  Tamburelli, M., 2005, UCL Working Paper Linguistics, 17.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyhoeddiad arbenigol › Erthygl

2020

• Regional Language Maintenance and the Importance of Digital Domains

  Regional or minority languages can benefit greatly from being introduced into formal and official domains of use, particularly within the education system. However, over-reliance on “high” domains and “top-down” practices may lead to well‐known pitfalls (e.g. Gruffudd, 2000; Hodges, 2011; Ó Riagáin, Price & Tamburelli 2016; 2019; Williams, 1992). This presentation discusses qualitative and quantitative data on the impact of top-down minority language transmission and the growing issue of formal domain dependency in Wales. An increasing body of data shows that over-reliance on formal-domains can create detrimental perceptions towards the target language, linking it too closely to formal, ‘high’ domains and thus inhibiting its application in more informal settings that are highly relevant to adolescents. These data highlight the need for regional and minority languages to have a strong presence in social media and other contemporary media domains relevant to youth culture, suggesting that language maintenance efforts should focus on digital media platforms as well as on the more traditional domains.

  11 Rhag 2020

  Cysylltau:

  • https://www.wiko-greifswald.de/en/program/general-overview/calender-of-events/veranstaltung/n/minority-languages-in-the-digital-age-usage-maintenance-and-teaching-59039/
  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)

2019

• An introduction to language planning: present & future

  An introduction to language planning concepts, ideas and activities for members of a non-profit organisation working towards the recognition, maintenance and development of the Venetan language, which is currently denied recognition by the Italian government.

  31 Maw 2019

  Cysylltau:

  • https://www.academiabonacreansa.eu/
  Gweithgaredd: Ymgynghoriad (Ymgynghorydd)
• Bilingualism and local communities.

  Popularisation event.

  Audience: general public, 3rd sector organisations, local policy makers.

  Content: An overview of how the benefits of bilingualism apply to local communities.

  30 Maw 2019

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Regional Bilingualism: implementing models in Europe

  Popularisation event.

  Audience: secondary school pupils.

  Content: An overview of how regional bilingualism is implemented across Europe.

  30 Maw 2019

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Bilingual advantage and home language use: the case of minority languages

  Talk given at the 2019 Multilingual Learning Conference

  1 Maw 2019

  Cysylltau:

  • https://www.ecis.org/events/mlie-conference/
  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)

2018

• The complexities of phonological complexity: evidence from bilingualism

  Invited talk at the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism, University of Reading.

  28 Tach 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Wales at the forefront: how the Welsh experience is shaping regional bilingualism in Italy.

  Knowledge Exchange event, reporting on how experiences from Welsh language policy are informing developments in Lombardy and in Italy more broadly.

  21 Meh 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Cyflwyniad llafar (Siaradwr)
• Lombard Language: regional languages in modern Europe

  Awareness raising event for the general public. Discussing the current position of Lombard and comparing it to more successful regional language situations in Europe.

  23 Mai 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Darlith/trafodaeth/seminar gyhoeddus (Siaradwr)
• Regional Languages and Bilingualism

  Awareness raising event for the general public. Discussing the current position of regional languages in Italy and the advantages that bilingualism could bring.

  23 Mai 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Darlith/trafodaeth/seminar gyhoeddus (Siaradwr)
• Lombard Language: regional languages in modern Europe

  Awareness raising event for the general public. Discussing the current position of Lombard and comparing it to more successful regional language situations in Europe.

  20 Mai 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Darlith/trafodaeth/seminar gyhoeddus (Siaradwr)
• Reversing the history of Lombard

  Awareness raising event (research impact)

  Mai 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Ymgysylltu ag ysgolion (Siaradwr)
• Lombard Language: regional languages in Modern Europe

  Awareness raising event for the general public. Discussing the current position of Lombard and comparing it to more successful regional language situations in Europe.

  19 Ebr 2018

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Darlith/trafodaeth/seminar gyhoeddus (Siaradwr)
• Contested Languages FAQ

  co-authored with Mauro Tosco, University of Turin

  2018

  Gweithgaredd: Cyflwyniad llafar (Siaradwr)
• Contested Languages in the Old World 3

  2018

  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn gweithdy, seminar, cwrs (Trefnydd)

2017

• Contested Languages: between scientific definition and political recognition

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Finding languages: from an old problem to a modern challenge

  Plenary address

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Issues in Romance classification: the case of Gallo-Italic

  Cambridge Romance Linguistics Seminars, University of Cambridge.

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Mother-tongue use in the Classroom

  Keynote address

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Multilingual Classrooms and Regional Languages: Practices and Approaches for the Maintenance of Linguistic Diversity

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Speaking Lombard: on language and identity ("Parlare lombardo per riscoprire chi siamo")

  Linked to the impact case study "Reversing the history of Lombard: An Impact Case Study" (linked to the IAA project “Supporting maintenance, use, and development of newly recognised regional languages”).

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Mathau o waith ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd a gwaith maes - Darlith/trafodaeth/seminar gyhoeddus (Cyfrannwr)
• The hidden multilingualism of Italy: issues and challenges

  Talk organised by the Cambridge Group for Endangered Languages and Cultures (CELC), University of Cambridge.

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• The persistence of linguistic discrimination in Italy: causes, effects, and potential solutions.

  2017

  Gweithgaredd: Cyflwyniad llafar (Siaradwr)

2016

• Contested Languages and the Denial of Linguistic Rights in the 21st Century

  2016

  Gweithgaredd: Cyflwyniad llafar (Siaradwr)
• Contested Languages in the Old World 2

  2016

  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn gweithdy, seminar, cwrs (Trefnydd)
• External Examiner

  Evaluating undergraduate programmes in Linguistics, University of Brighton.

  2016 →

  Gweithgaredd: Arholiad (Arholwr)
• International Conference on Bilingualism in Education, Bangor University

  2016

  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn cynhadledd (Cyfranogwr)

2015

• Linguistic advisor

  to the Regional Government of Lombardy (Italy). Advising on the development of language maintenance policy and activities, including the drafting of new laws on cultural and linguistic heritage and providing support in popularisation meetings and events. This activity is linked to the Impact Case Study “Reversing the history of Lombard”.

  18 Hyd 2015 →

  Gweithgaredd: Ymgynghoriad (Ymgynghorydd)
• Bilingual acquisition of phonological structure: issues and challenges

  2015

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Finding Languages: From Old Linguistic Problems to Modern Challenges

  2015

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)
• Languages and dialects in Italy: a global perspective

  2015

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)

2014

• Intelligibility rates and regional bilingualism in Europe

  2014

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)

2013

• Committee for Philology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. (Sefydliad allanol)

  Member of the Committee

  6 Meh 2013 →

  Gweithgaredd: Aelodaeth o bwyllgor (Cadeirydd)
• CRASSH conference on Language Endangerment

  2013

  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn cynhadledd (Siaradwr)
• Contested Languages in the Old World

  This international conference will bring together linguists, political scientists, legal experts, writers, activists and other scholars working on the current status and future prospects of such ‘contested’ languages, as well as on issues of corpus and status planning and how these impact on both the speaker communities and the academic world.

  2013

  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn gweithdy, seminar, cwrs (Trefnydd)
• Identifying regional bilingualism in modern Europe: the role of intelligibility rates.

  2013

  Gweithgaredd: Sgwrs wadd (Siaradwr)

• Santander Scholarship donation

  01/04/2012 – 30/09/2015 (Wedi gorffen)

Recent presentations

• Tamburelli, M. (2016) “Contested Languages and the Denial of Linguistic Rights in the 21st Century”. Oral presentation at CLOW #2 (Contested Languages in the Old World), University of Turin, Italy
• Alomeri, H, Sanoudaki, E., Tamburelli M., Kotzoglou, G. (2016) “Diglossia and EFL: The case of Arabic prepositions” Oral presentation at the Bangor International Conference on Bilingualism in Education, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
• Tamburelli, M. (2015) “Languages and dialects in Italy: a global perspective ”. Invited talk at the British Academy event "Language in Italy in the 21st Century", London (November 2015).
• Tamburelli, M (2015) "Bilingual acquisition of phonological structure: issues and challenges". Invited talk at the UCL Laboratory for Language and Speech Diversions, London (November 2015).
• Tamburelli, M. (2015) “Finding Languages: From Old Linguistic Problems to Modern Challenges”. Invited talk at the Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies, University of Kent.
• Tamburelli, M. (2014) “Intelligibility rates and regional bilingualism in Europe”. Invited talk at the Department of English, Liverpool Hope University.
• Tamburelli, M. (2013). "Finding Languages: Can linguistic criteria inform language policy?" Oral presentation at the CRASSH conference on Language Endangerment: Language Policy and Planning, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
• Tamburelli, M. (2013) “Identifying regional bilingualism in modern Europe: the role of intelligibility rates”. Invited talk at the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Groningen.
• Tamburelli, M. & L. Brasca (2013). “Writing in a contested language: Issues & Challenges.” Oral presentation at the CLOW conference on Contested Languages, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK.
• Sanoudaki, E., M. Tamburelli, G. Jones, & M. Sowinska (2012). “Consonant cluster puzzles: evidence from Polish-English bilingual acquisition”. Oral presentation at the 20th Manchester Phonology Meeting, Manchester, UK.
• Tamburelli, M., E. Sanoudaki, G. Jones, & M. Sowinska (2012). “Acceleration in the bilingual acquisition of consonant clusters: evidence from Polish-English bilingual children”. Oral presentation at the conference 'Bilingual and Multilingual Interaction', Bangor, UK.
• Tamburelli, M. (2011) “Lesser languages in modern Europe: the case of Italy”. Invited talk at the Institute for the Galician Language, University of Santiago de Compostela.

Invited talks

• Tamburelli, M. (2017) “Finding languages: from an old problem to a modern challenge.” Plenary address at UPCEL Language in Society, 20-22 September 2017, University of Madrid, Spain.
• Tamburelli, M. (2017) “Mother-tongue use in the Classroom”. Invited talk at the UWC English Language Learning Support Conference, 21-23 June 2017, St Donat's, UK.
• Tamburelli, M. (2017) “Multilingual Classrooms and Regional Languages: Practices and Approaches for the Maintenance of Linguistic Diversity". Invited talk at the ESL and Mother Tongue Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark (March 2017).
• Tamburelli, M. (2017) “Contested Languages: between scientific definition and political recognition.” Invited talk at CILVE1 (First International Conference on the Venetan Language), Padua, Italy (February 2017).
• Tamburelli, M. (2017) ‘The hidden multilingualism of Italy: issues and challenges’ Invited talk at ‘Endangered and Minority Languages of Italy’, Cambridge Group for Endangered Languages and Cultures (CELC), University of Cambridge, UK (January 2017).
• Tamburelli, M. (2017) “Issues in Romance classification: the case of Gallo-Italic” Invited talk at the Cambridge Romance Linguistics Seminars, University of Cambridge, UK (January 2017).