I am currently working on two main projects:

The Acquisition Sketch Project which aims to increase our knowledge about the acquisition of understudied languages while also improving the tools we have for undertaking such research.

Learning to Think and Talk about Events in the APY is my current ARC funded DECRA project and it investigates how languages differ in the ways they describe events. Do these linguistic differences relate to differences in how people think? And how does the relationship between thought and language develop across childhood?

The research focuses on the Indigenous Australian languages Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, with comparison to English. By examining how events are structured in language and how children learn to express them, the project aims to deepen our understanding of event cognition and language development.

In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the project seeks to produce valuable materials for use in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. These materials are intended to support the maintenance of Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara while also strengthening access to English.

To learn more, see the project website below.

I am currently inviting English-speaking families to take part in a study on how children understand and describe events. If you would like to learn more about what participation involves, please follow the link below.