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Heather Marsden
Senior Lecturer

Profile

Biography

Heather Marsden works primarily in second language (L2) acquisition, focussing on the L2 acquisition of phenomena at the syntax–semantics interface, with a special interest in the L2 acquisition of Japanese and other East Asian languages.

She obtained her first degree in Japanese Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a Diploma in Translation (Japanese to English) from the Chartered Institute of Linguists. She worked as a translator, a language teacher, and a language teaching materials editor, before beginning her academic career in Linguistics with an MA and PhD at the University of Durham.

Career

  • University of Cambridge
    BA Japanese Studies
  • University of Durham
    MA Linguistics
  • University of Durham
    PhD Linguistics (2004)
  • Newcastle University
    ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2004 - 2006)
  • University of York
    Lecturer (2007 - 2016)
    Senior Lecturer (2016 - present)

Departmental roles

  • Chair of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Athena Swan Lead

Research

Overview

My research investigates multilingual language acquisition from the perspective of generative linguistic theory. I am particularly interested in the second (or non-native) language (L2) acquisition of linguistic structure at the interfaces of syntax with semantics and discourse, and in the role of input in shaping acquisition. I use psycholinguistic methods to investigate questions such as the following:

  1. How does the linguistic structure of a previously acquired language affect acquisition in a subsequent language (whether the previous language is a "native" language or a "second", "third", etc. language)?
  2. How do L2 learners acquire linguistic knowledge for which there is no evidence in the input?
  3. How does the content of grammar instruction affect acquisition of linguistic structure?

I am also interested in research that integrates L2 acquisition theory and language teaching practice, both at the level of collaborative research and at the level of knowledge exchange. I am particularly interested in the L2 acquisition of East Asian languages, and of languages commonly taught at secondary level in the UK (Spanish, German and French).

Projects

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • Psycholinguistic approaches to second language acquisition
  • Language acquisition

Postgraduate

  • Language acquisition
  • Psycholinguistic approaches to second language acquisition
  • First and second language acquisition

External activities

Invited talks and conferences

Selected invited talks

  • 2021 - Ambient input, instructed input, and absent input: A reflection on L2 acquisition in different input conditions. Plenary Talk at International Conference of the Japan Second Language Association, Tokyo (held online). 
  • 2018 - Using Case to predict in the German language classroom: a pilot study. Language Acquisition, Variation and Attrition Group Seminar, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø.
  • 2018 - Insights for teacher-researcher collaboration, from theoretical linguistic SLA research on English and Spanish. Second language acquisition: linguistic and pedagogical perspectives workshop, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø. 
  • 2017 - Searching for a common language: where do GenSLA research and the language classroom meet? Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA 14), University of Southampton.

Recent conference papers

  • 2023 - Crosslinguistic influence and proficiency in L2 and L3 knowledge of aspect in Japanese (poster). 32nd Conference of the European Second Language Association (EuroSLA 32), Birmingham, UK. (with A. Hendra & L. Roberts).
  • 2022 - The grammar of experience and the acquisition of NPIs: Ever and Any show different paths of acquisition in Chinese and Korean L2 speakers of English.Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA16), Trondheim, Norway. . (with N. Grillo, K-H Gil, N. Radkevich, S. Sloggett, G. Tsoulas, N. Yeo).
  • 2021 - L2 acquisition of the Japanese associative plural marker “tati”. 46th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (held online). (with K. Kume).

Contact details

Heather Marsden
Senior Lecturer
Department of Language and Linguistic Science
Vanbrugh College C Block
Room : V/C/217

Tel: (0)1904 323610