Vikki Janke

Biography

I received my PhD from the Department of Phonetics & Linguistics, University College London, where I developed a PRO-free syntactic representation of control, focusing on English and Icelandic. Since then I have held research and teaching posts at the Institute of Education (UoL), the Department of Human Communication Science (UCL) and Middlesex University. I research into and have published on syntax (and its interfaces with morphology and pragmatics), first language acquisition in typical development (in particular, syntactic dependencies and discourse-mediated reference assignment), syntactic and pragmatic development in individuals on the autism spectrum, and second language acquisition. My research on language in autism has been sponsored by the British Academy. Other projects to which I am currently contributing include the role of gesture in signed language acquisition in collaboration with Chloe Marshall at the UCL Institute of Education, the impact of early bilingual education on children’s social and cognitive development with Gloria Chamorro here at Kent and the integration of syntactic and discourse information at the syntax-pragmatics interface in Greek L1/English L2 speakers with Marina Kolokonte at the American College of Greece. My administrative roles include being the Director of the MA in Linguistics in our department and the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught) for the School. I am also the Reviews Editor for First Language and external examiner for the MA in Linguistics at UCL and for the BA in English Language & Linguistics and the MA in Intercultural Communication at Anglia Ruskin.

Research Interest

Linguistics