Timothy Roberts
About Timothy Roberts
I am primarily a sociolinguist with an interest in the social dynamics of language in multilingual families. My research has been inspired by a wide range of theoretical approaches such as conversation analysis, assemblage theory, nexus analysis, variationist sociolinguistics, and phenomenology. I am interested in the connection between language, the family, and various other levels of society such as schools, community groups, workplaces, and government institutions. This has led much of my past research to investigate how micro level social structures such as the family are embedded within macro structures of the wider society, and how in turn this affects language ideology and language practice.
In addition to my applied sociolinguistics work, I have been involved in a number of projects that have focused on language from more theoretical perspectives. I am currently involved in a project which combines theoretical syntax with second language acquisition, particularly as relates to the acquisition of relative clauses in English.
I have been employed as a senior lecturer in English linguistics at Gothenburg since August 2023. Previously, I have worked at the University of Southampton, Uppsala University, and Karlstad University. At GU, I teach a variety of courses related to linguistics, academic writing, and teacher training. I am also involved in the supervision of student essays at various levels.