Roumyana Slabakova

About

I am Full Professor and Chair of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at the University of Southampton, UK. I am also adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Language and Literature at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

At the University of Southampton, I am Head of Research of the department. At NTNU, I am affiliated with the AcqVA research group led by Professor Marit Westergaard and Professor Terje Lohndal. I co-ordinate the NTNU-based group in the Polish-Norwegian projects Across-domain Investigations in Multilingualism: Modeling L3 Acquisition in Diverse Settings (ADIM) and Cross-linguistic influence in multilingualism across domains: Phonology and syntax (CLIMAD). I also participate in the project Cross-linguistic Influence in Multilingual Acquisition (CLIMA), funded by the Research Council of Norway.

Bio

I was born in Varna, Bulgaria and studied at the English-medium high school there. I completed my undergraduate education in English Philology at the Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski," specializing in linguistics and educational psychology. I taught English for academic purposes at the same university before I embarked on my postgraduate studies. My PhD degree was awarded by McGill University, Montreal, Canada, where I studied under the supervision of Professor Lydia White. My dissertation investigated the second language acquisition of aspect by Bulgarian native speakers learning English. I taught and conducted research at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA before I came to the University of Southampton in 2013. I joined NTNU in 2019.

I am a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS).

Research

My research is grounded in generative linguistic theory and explores the second language (L2) acquisition process. My theoretical focus is the acquisition of grammatical structure and its interaction with meaning. I use online and offline psycholinguistic methodologies to investigate the following theoretical issues:

What is the linguistic nature of the bilingual and multilingual grammar?
Are there some properties of language (e.g. words, sounds, sentence structure) that are easier to acquire than others (e.g. functional morphemes, grammatical meanings)? Are there are some properties, such as pragmatic universals, that will come for free in the grammar of the learner?
Can lexical, phrasal and sentence meaning be acquired in the L2? How does the interface between form and meaning affect the L2 acquisition of meaning?
What is the effect of the native language in the acquisition of a second language? What are the effects of the native and the second language in the acquisition of a third language?
How does linguistic and processing complexity affect knowledge of meaning in the L2? How do children acquiring their native language and adult L2 learners compare in this respect?

Publications

2024

Ionin, Tania; Montrul, Silvina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2024) The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, Morphosyntax, and Semantics. Routledge Routledge
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings

2023

Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2023) Full Transfer Potential in L3/Ln Acquisition Crosslinguistic Influence as a Property-by-Property Process. Cambridge University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

2022

Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Westergaard, Marit; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2022) Crosslinguistic Influence in Third Language Acquisition. . UiT Norges arktiske universitet UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Doctoral dissertation

2021

Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Anderssen, Merete; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2021) Crosslinguistic influence in L3 acquisition across linguistic modules. International Journal of Multilingualism
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Semantics. Cambridge University Press
Chapter
Bayram, Fatih; Di Pisa, Grazia; Rothman, Jason; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Current Trends and Emerging Methodologies in Charting Heritage Language Bilingual Grammars. Cambridge University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Sokolova, Mariana; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Processing similarities between native speakers and non-balanced bilinguals. International Journal of Bilingualism
Academic article
Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared. Languages
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Second Language Acquisition. John Wiley & Sons
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Does Full Transfer endure in L3 acquisition? . Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Short communication

2020

Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2020) The Present Tense in English, Again. Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana; Leal, Tania; Dudley, Amber; Stack, Micah. (2020) Generative Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press Second language acquisition (1)
Academic monograph
Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2020) Aspectual contrasts in the English present tense revisited: Exploring the role of input and L1 influence. Pedagogical Linguistics
Academic article

2019

Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) The Bottleneck Hypothesis Updated. John Benjamins Publishing Company
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana; Corbet, James; Domínguez, Laura; Dudley, Amber; Wallington, Amy. (2019) Explorations in Second Language Acquisition and Processing. Cambridge Scholars Publishing Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Shimanskaya, Elena; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) L1-L2 differences in the L2 classroom: Anticipating Anglophone learners' difficulties with French pronoun interpretation . Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Marsden, Heather; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Grammatical Meaning and the Second Language Classroom. Introduction to the special issue of Language Teaching Research. Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Leal, Tania; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) The relationship between L2 instruction, exposure, and the L2 acquisition of a syntax-discourse property in L2 Spanish . Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) “L” Stands for Language. The Modern Language Journal
Academic literature review
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) What attrites when and why: Implications of the Bottleneck Hypothesis. Oxford University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit; Lundquist, Bjørn. (2019) The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Second Language Research
Academic article
Hicks, Glyn; Dominguez, Laura; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Choice of words matters, but so does scientific accuracy: Reply to peer commentaries. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Short communication
Dominguez, Laura; Hicks, Glyn; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Terminology choice in generative acquisition research: the case of “incomplete acquisition” in heritage language grammars. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Academic article

2018

Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Back to our roots. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Inflectional Morphology. John Wiley & Sons
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Morgan-Short, Kara; Marsden, Emma; Heil, Jeanne; Issa, Bernard I; Leow, Ronald P.; Mikhaylova, Anna. (2018) Multisite Replication in Second Language Acquisition Research: Attention to Form During Listening and Reading Comprehension. Language Learning
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Research Timeline: L2 Semantics from a formal linguistic perspective. Language Teaching
Academic literature review

2017

Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2017) The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: A study of L1 Norwegian speakers’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Cascadilla Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana; Garcia mayo, Maria del pilar. (2017) Testing two models of third language acquisition. John Benjamins Publishing Company
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) The Scalpel Model of Third Language Acquisition. International Journal of Bilingualism
Academic article
Shimanskaya, Elena; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) Re-assembling Objects: A New Look at the L2 Acquisition of Pronominal Clitics. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana; White, Lydia; Brambatti Guzzo, Natalia. (2017) Pronoun interpretation in the second language: Effects of computational complexity. Frontiers in Psychology
Academic article
Leal, Tania; Slabakova, Roumyana; Farmer, Thomas. (2017) The Fine-Tuning of Linguistic Expectations Over the Course of L2 Learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Academic article

Journal publications

Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Anderssen, Merete; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2021) Crosslinguistic influence in L3 acquisition across linguistic modules. International Journal of Multilingualism
Academic article
Sokolova, Mariana; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Processing similarities between native speakers and non-balanced bilinguals. International Journal of Bilingualism
Academic article
Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared. Languages
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Does Full Transfer endure in L3 acquisition? . Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Short communication
Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2020) Aspectual contrasts in the English present tense revisited: Exploring the role of input and L1 influence. Pedagogical Linguistics
Academic article
Shimanskaya, Elena; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) L1-L2 differences in the L2 classroom: Anticipating Anglophone learners' difficulties with French pronoun interpretation . Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Marsden, Heather; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Grammatical Meaning and the Second Language Classroom. Introduction to the special issue of Language Teaching Research. Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Leal, Tania; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) The relationship between L2 instruction, exposure, and the L2 acquisition of a syntax-discourse property in L2 Spanish . Language Teaching Research
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) “L” Stands for Language. The Modern Language Journal
Academic literature review
Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit; Lundquist, Bjørn. (2019) The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Second Language Research
Academic article
Hicks, Glyn; Dominguez, Laura; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Choice of words matters, but so does scientific accuracy: Reply to peer commentaries. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Short communication
Dominguez, Laura; Hicks, Glyn; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Terminology choice in generative acquisition research: the case of “incomplete acquisition” in heritage language grammars. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Back to our roots. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Academic article
Morgan-Short, Kara; Marsden, Emma; Heil, Jeanne; Issa, Bernard I; Leow, Ronald P.; Mikhaylova, Anna. (2018) Multisite Replication in Second Language Acquisition Research: Attention to Form During Listening and Reading Comprehension. Language Learning
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Research Timeline: L2 Semantics from a formal linguistic perspective. Language Teaching
Academic literature review
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) The Scalpel Model of Third Language Acquisition. International Journal of Bilingualism
Academic article
Shimanskaya, Elena; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) Re-assembling Objects: A New Look at the L2 Acquisition of Pronominal Clitics. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Academic article
Slabakova, Roumyana; White, Lydia; Brambatti Guzzo, Natalia. (2017) Pronoun interpretation in the second language: Effects of computational complexity. Frontiers in Psychology
Academic article
Leal, Tania; Slabakova, Roumyana; Farmer, Thomas. (2017) The Fine-Tuning of Linguistic Expectations Over the Course of L2 Learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Academic article

Books

Ionin, Tania; Montrul, Silvina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2024) The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, Morphosyntax, and Semantics. Routledge Routledge
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Slabakova, Roumyana; Leal, Tania; Dudley, Amber; Stack, Micah. (2020) Generative Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press Second language acquisition (1)
Academic monograph
Slabakova, Roumyana; Corbet, James; Domínguez, Laura; Dudley, Amber; Wallington, Amy. (2019) Explorations in Second Language Acquisition and Processing. Cambridge Scholars Publishing Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings

Part of book/report

Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2023) Full Transfer Potential in L3/Ln Acquisition Crosslinguistic Influence as a Property-by-Property Process. Cambridge University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Semantics. Cambridge University Press
Chapter
Bayram, Fatih; Di Pisa, Grazia; Rothman, Jason; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Current Trends and Emerging Methodologies in Charting Heritage Language Bilingual Grammars. Cambridge University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2021) Second Language Acquisition. John Wiley & Sons
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Dudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2020) The Present Tense in English, Again. Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) The Bottleneck Hypothesis Updated. John Benjamins Publishing Company
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) What attrites when and why: Implications of the Bottleneck Hypothesis. Oxford University Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Inflectional Morphology. John Wiley & Sons
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2017) The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: A study of L1 Norwegian speakers’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Cascadilla Press
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Slabakova, Roumyana; Garcia mayo, Maria del pilar. (2017) Testing two models of third language acquisition. John Benjamins Publishing Company
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Report

Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Westergaard, Marit; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2022) Crosslinguistic Influence in Third Language Acquisition. . UiT Norges arktiske universitet UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Doctoral dissertation

Knowledge Transfer