Humanities and Social Sciences

Linguistics Program

Staff Directory

Dr Stebbins was awarded her PhD in Linguistics in 2000 at the University of Melbourne.She has publications in the areas of linguistic typology, discourse analysis, conversation analysis, orthography development, language endangerment, and lexicography. She has taught courses in English grammar, introductory linguistics, field methods, intercultural communication and discourse analysis.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Member, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Ethics Committee
• Member, School of Communication, Arts and Critical Enquiry Academic Committee

Major Research Areas

Dr Stebbins' research focuses on little known and endangered languages of the Pacific region. There are two main strands to the research. Firstly, she is involved in preparing documentation of these languages in the form of grammars, dictionaries and text collections with a particular focus on the presentation of materials in ways that accommodate the needs of both academic researchers and the speech community more generally. Secondly, she is concerned with the ways in which community members respond to issues of language endangerment and the relationship between language and identity. These issues are of continuing relevance to her research and teaching. She has published in the following areas:

• English language: conversation analysis, discourse analysis;
• Sm’algyax (Coast Tsimshian): linguistic typology, historical linguistics, phonology and orthography development, language endangerment, morpho-syntax and semantics;
• Papua New Guinean Languages: linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, and a survey of the languages of New Guinea (co-authored with A.Y. Aikhenvald).

Current Teaching Areas

LIN21/31CCC Cross Cultural Communication
LIN22/32EUG English: a user’s guide
LIN22/32BSA Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition
LIN41HON Field Research Methods
LIN42HON Discourse Analysis

Publications

Professional Associations

• Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas. (1996 - 1998)
• Australian Linguistic Society

Service to the Linguistics community

• Chair of session, International Workshop on Serial Verb Constructions at the Research Centre for Linguistics Typology. (2003)
• Referee for Oxford University Press. (2001)
• Logistics manager, Fifth Australian Linguistics Institute, Trinity College, University of Melbourne. (2000)
• Co-convenor, Fieldwork Workshop, Department of Linguistics, University of Melbourne.
• Guest lectures for Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, University of Melbourne. (1997 - 1999)
• Member of the organising committee for the University of Melbourne Department of Linguistics Postgraduate Conference. (1995 & 1997)
• Postgraduate and tutors' representative on the Departmental Committee, Department of Linguistics, University of Melbourne. (1995 - 1996)

Service to the wider community

• Paper presented to the Albert Park U3A (University of the Third Age) Program on 'Language endangerment: responding to communities in cultural transition.' (May 2004)
• Mali language community: language and literacy resource development. (2001 - present)
• Sm'algyax Language Program: consultant linguist and curriculum support. (1996 - 2001)
• Caulfield Adult Literacy Group: volunteer ESL tutor and committee member. (1994 - 1995)

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