Position: Reader in Linguistics (Bilingualism)

Email: m.tamburelli@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: ++44 (0)1248 382078

Location: Room 205b, 37-41 College Road

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

PhD supervision

  • Conor Glackin: Intelligibility and communication in stressful social contexts. Started: 2017
  • Judit Vari: Monitoring language vitality in autochthonous diglossic communities. 2017-2021.
  • 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. 2013-2019.
  • Lissander Brasca: Classification of Romance linguistic varieties. Started in September 2013 (P/T).
  • Athanasia Papastergiou: the role of educational settings in bilingual acquisition. ESRC funded PhD. 2014-2016 (co-supervisor).

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”.

I welcome enquiries from students interested in pursuing a PhD in the areas of:
Regional, Minority and Contested languages: linguistic attitudes; assessment of language vitality; 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.

2022

2021

2020

2018

2016

2014

2013

  • PublishedGrammar in parsing and acquisition
    Chondrogianni, V. & Tamburelli, M., 1 Jan 2013, In: Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism. 3, 3, p. 289-295
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedLesser languages in Modern Europe: the case of Italy
    Tamburelli, M., 2013, Proceedings of the 4th ENIEDA Conference on Linguistic and Intercultural Education.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

2012

2010

2008

2007

  • PublishedLexical 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. (ed.). Vol. 41.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

2006

  • PublishedParadigms, Acquisition and Bilingualism
    Tamburelli, M., 2006, Proceedings of the Fourth Cambridge Post-Graduate Conference in Language Research.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
  • PublishedRemarks on Richness
    Tamburelli, M., 2006, UCL Working Paper Linguistics, 18.
    Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

2005

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2019

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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).