I'm a lecturer in Language Studies at the University of Stirling, and am co-director of the new Masters programme in English Language and Linguistics.

Research:

I study the cognitive and cultural foundations of language, in order to investigate how language originated and became complex. My areas of research interest include:

  • the evolution of language
  • the cognitive origins of linguistic complexity
  • cross-situational learning
  • grammaticalisation
  • cultural evolution
  • systematicity and regularisation
  • (socio-)cognitive linguistics
More details on my research page.

I'm also an external member of the Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit at the University of Edinburgh, where I previously did my PhD and worked on a number of postdoc projects, before taking up the lectureship in Stirling.

Teaching:

Autumn 2011: Language and Society (LIN 911); Structures of Language (LINP01)
Spring 2012: Foundations of Language (LIN 912); Evolutionary Linguistics (LINP06)

At Edinburgh, I supervised Gareth Roberts, who successfully defended his PhD thesis in August 2010.

Pathfoot Building,
Stirling, FK9 4LA

email: andrew.smith AT stir.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1786 467516
Twitter: @AndrewDMSmith

Office Hours 
(Pathfoot B3): 
Mon 11-12, Tue 11-12

Latest News

  • Talk in Bologna
    I'll be giving a talk on evolutionary pressures on meaning complexity at a workshop on "Rethinking Meaning" in Bologna, Italy, on 13 April. Lots of interesting people will be giving talks at the workshop, including Linda Smith (Indiana), Luc Steels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Nick Enfield (MPI Nijmegen), to name just three. Full details in the programme, but everyone is welcome, and registration for the workshop is free.
    Posted 5 Apr 2012 10:59 by Andrew Smith
  • Twitter
    You can now find me on Twitter (@AndrewDMSmith).
    Posted 22 Mar 2012 03:23 by Andrew Smith
  • Evolang
    I gave a talk about “Linguistic Replicators: A Wild Goose Chase?” at the Ninth Evolution of Language Conference in Kyoto, Japan in March. Have a look at a commentary on the talk posted on leading language evolution blog, Replicated Typo.

    Posted 22 Mar 2012 03:21 by Andrew Smith
  • Talk in February at Edinburgh
    On 16 February, I'll be giving a talk to the Linguistic Circle at the University of Edinburgh. It will take place in the Dugald Stewart Building at 4pm. All welcome.
    Posted 5 Jan 2012 08:39 by Andrew Smith
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