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Staff Profile

Dr Natalia Pavlovskaya

Research Associate and Associate Lecturer

  • Email: natalia.pavlovskaya@ncl.ac.uk
  • Address: School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
    Percy Building
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
Background

I am currently an Associate Lecturer in Linguistics in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics (SELLL) and a Research Associate on the BulBul project, led by Prof Ghada Khattab, within the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University. I completed both my PhD and Master’s degrees in Linguistics at SELLL with distinction. Prior to that, I earned a specialist degree in modern foreign languages, alongside qualifications of a translator and interpreter in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian. As part of my degree’s exchange programme, I studied at Durham University, and in China.

My primary research interests are centred around language acquisition, with a focus on both first and subsequent language learning. I employ psycholinguistic methods in my work, and I have a special interest in the role of input in language development, as well as in the impact of the cognitive processes involved in early language processing -- especially in perception, speech segmentation, and the learning of early words and syntax.

I also serve as the Web Administrator and External Relations Officer for the Linguistics Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (LAGB).

Teaching

I have taught a range of modules in language and linguistics in SELLL

In 2023/24 I help with the following modules:

First Semester:

SEL1008 : Nature of Language

SEL1027: Introduction to the Structure of Language (Phonology).

Second Semester:

SEL1028: Introduction to the Structure of Language (Morphology and Meaning).

SEL1032: Language Variation and Change: Dealing with Data.

For 2024-25, my office hours are on Tues 12.00-13.30.

Research

My research primarily focuses on the role of input in language acquisition, specifically how language learners begin to segment an unfamiliar natural language and attach meanings to the segmented words. I am particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms that could guide early word detection following initial exposure to an unknown language -- an area that remains surprisingly under-explored within the field of second language acquisition. My work is inspired by studies in first language acquisition and artificial language learning, which have significantly influenced my research methodology. Additionally, I have a strong interest in heritage bilingualism and have recently begun exploring the processing mechanisms of receptive bilinguals using a range of psychometric techniques.

Throughout my time in linguistics, I have continually been amazed by the remarkable capacity of human language. The ways in which language is known and used to navigate the world never cease to captivate me. I often find myself reflecting on my own journey with language, particularly the fact that English is my second language -- a language I began to learn only in my late teenage years. Today, I work with English daily, a reminder of the incredible adaptability of human language and the profound impact it has on both personal and professional development!

Publications