G'day!
I’m a linguist and university lecturer at at the Department of Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences with a passion for how we communicate—especially beyond just words.
My work explores how people use gesture, prosody, and facial expressions to make meaning, navigate social interactions, and learn language.
I earned my PhD in General Linguistics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, where I studied how preschoolers develop pragmatic skills through multimodal cues like gesture and tone of voice. Before that, I completed an MA in General Linguistics at Lancaster University and a BA in English Linguistics, History, and Anthropology at the University of Zurich.
Over the past decade, I’ve taught at universities in Switzerland and Spain, covering everything from phonetics & phonology and pragmatics to academic writing and intercultural communication. I also hold qualifications in higher education teaching and language instruction, including a CELTA.
My research has been published in journals across linguistics, pragmatics, and developmental psychology, and I’ve co-edited a volume on Multimodal im/politeness. I love collaborating across disciplines and countries, and regularly present at conferences and work on projects that explore the rich ways humans use multiple channels to connect and communicate.
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me out in nature, exploring the little and big wonders of the world with my two small kids.
New book out!
The first book-length treatment of visual,
gestural and acoustic properties of
politeness, featuring 12 chapters and
8 languages.
The first book-length treatment of visual,
gestural and acoustic properties of
politeness, featuring 12 chapters and
8 languages.
