Staff Profile

I am currently an Associate Lecturer in Linguistics and a Research Associate at Newcastle University, where I completed both my PhD and Master's degrees with distinction in the same field. Prior to this, I studied modern foreign languages and obtained qualifications as a translator and interpreter in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian.

My primary research interests focus on language acquisition, particularly in first and subsequent language learning. I mainly use psycholinguistic methods and I am especially interested in the role of input in language development, as well as the cognitive processes involved in ab-initio language processing, with a specific emphasis on perception and early words and syntax learning.

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.

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 career 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!

• Article

  • Pavlovskaya N. Mimicking language acquisition “in the wild” online: What do non-speakers of English can acquire about English after brief exposure to it on-line, and whether it resembles English acquiring children?. 2024. In Preparation.

• Book Chapter

  • Pavlovskaya N, Riches N, Young-Scholten M. First Exposure to Russian Word Forms by Adult English Speakers: Disentangling Language-Specific and Language-Universal Factors. In: Lindsay Hracs, ed. Perspectives on Input, Evidence, and Exposure in Language Acquisition: Studies in honour of Susanne E. Carroll. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2024, pp.191-224. In Press.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Pavlovskaya N, Jarad S, Leung AH-C, Young-Scholten M. What do adult learners know about phonology after minimal exposure?. In: 46th Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics. 2013, Edinburgh, UK.

• Editorial

  • Leung AH-C, Pavlovskaya N, Young-Scholten M. Investigating L2 Phonological Acquisition from Different Perspectives: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Languages 2025, 10(1), 3.