Lauren W Reed
About Me
I am the Senior Linguist at the Centre for Australian Languages at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). I am also a fieldwork assistant and PhD candidate in the ELISA project (Emergence of Language in Social Interaction), based at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. In addition, I am a Senior Research Officer in the School of Culture, History and Language at the Australian National University, where I am a collaborator in the Body, Language and Socialisation Across Cultures project.
I am currently most interested in what adult homesign can tell us about the relationship between language qua system and social cognition. To investigate this, I employ theories and methods derived from conversation analysis, interactional linguistics, linguistic anthropology and cognitive science. My research is grounded in fieldwork which I have carried out in a number of diverse settings across Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia, with deaf and hearing people using signed and spoken languages.
In my work at AIATSIS, I manage a number of projects which support the strengthening of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages (the Indigenous languages of Australia). These include the fourth National Indigenous Languages Survey and the AIATSIS Dictionaries Program. I am currently working on the theorisation of an index to measure the vitality of languages in revival as a complement to existing indices of language endangerment.
I am a hearing Sibling of Deaf Adults and user since childhood of Auslan (Australian Sign Language).
Publications
Most publications can be found on my Academia page
Reed, Lauren W. (In press). Sign languages of the Papuasphere. In Evans, Nicholas and Fedden, Sebastian (Eds.), The Oxford guide to the Papuan languages. Preprint available at https://www.academia.edu/115469979/Sign_languages_of_the_Papuasphere
Hodge, Gabrielle; Danielle Barth; & Lauren W. Reed. (2023). Auslan and Matukar Panau: A modality-agnostic look at quotatives. In Barth, Danielle and Nicholas Evans (Eds.), Social Cognition Parallax Interview Corpus (SCOPIC). Language Documentation & Conservation Special Publication No. 12: 85-125. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/24744
Reed, Lauren W. (2022). Sign networks: Nucleated network sign languages and rural homesign in Papua New Guinea. Language in Society 51(4): 627-661. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404521000798
Planer, Ronald J. & Lauren W Reed. (2021). Like hand, like mouth: On the role of gesture-linked mouth actions in the evolution of language. Biological Theory 16: 90-101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-021-00377-8
Reed, Lauren W & Kate L. Lindsey. (2021). “Now the story’s turning around”: Associated motion and directionality in Ende, a language of Papua New Guinea. In Koch, Harold & Antoine Guillaume (Eds.), Associated motion, pp. 357-383. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
Reed, Lauren W. (2020). "Switching caps": Two ways of communicating in sign in the Port Moresby deaf community, Papua New Guinea. Asia-Pacific Language Variation 6(1): 13-52. https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.19010.ree [Auslan abstract available at https://benjamins.com/catalog/aplv.19010.ree/video/abstract]
Rumsey, Alan; Lauren W Reed; & Francesca Merlan. (2020). Ku Waru clause chaining and the acquisition of complex syntax. Frontiers in Communication 5, 19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00019
Reed, Lauren W & Alan Rumsey. (2020). Sign languages in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. In Kendon, Adam, Sign language in Papua New Guinea: A primary sign language from the Upper Lagaip Valley, Enga Province, pp. 141-183. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/z.226.se1
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). Sign languages of Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, and their challenges for sign language typology. Master's thesis. Canberra: Australian National University. https://doi.org/10.25911/5d69027b5d5f8
Ellis, Elizabeth M.; Jennifer Green; Inge Kral; & Lauren W Reed. (2019). Mara yurriku: Western Desert sign languages. Australian Aboriginal Studies (2): 89-111. https://www.academia.edu/42157928/Mara_yurriku_Western_Desert_sign_languages
Publications (in progress)
Reed, Lauren W & Alison L Mount. The Language Revival Index.
Reed, Lauren W; Hannah Lutzenberger; Josefina Safar; & Connie de Vos. A comparative study of response tokens in five sign languages.
Education
2024-2028
In Progress - Doctor of Philosophy, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
2019
Master of General and Applied Linguistics (Advanced), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
2007
Bachelor of International Studies (Arabic), Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
2002
Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Prizes and Awards
2023
CEP Corporate Contribution Award
Recognising outstanding achievement and contribution to the AIATSIS vision and mission
2019
University Medal, Australian National University
For exceptional academic excellence
2008
Alfred Deakin Medal, Deakin University
For outstanding academic, university and community achievements
Grants, Scholarships and Fellowships
2019
Jalwang Scholarship, Australian Linguistic Society (AUD $4,901)
To produce a picture dictionary of PNGSL, in partnership with the PNG Deaf Association and Buk Bilong Pikinini
2018
Language Documentation Grant, Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (AUD $8,574)
Documentation of Papua New Guinea Sign Language (PNGSL)
Student Experience Grant, College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU (AUD $2,000)
For a fieldtrip to Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay country for students learning Gamilaraay
Co-grantees: Dr John Giacon and Professor Jane Simpson
Student Extracurricular Enrichment Fund grant, Postgraduate and Research Students Association, ANU (AUD $2,000)
To fund Auslan classes for ANU students
Granted to ANU Sign Language Collective
2017
Research Grant, Australian Linguistic Society (AUD $4,626)
To investigate sign language used in the rural Nebilyer and Kaugel Valleys, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Firebird Fellowship, Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research (USD $7,154)
To record traditional stories, hunting signs, and directionality in the grammar in Ende, Western Province, Papua New Guinea
Fellowship, Linguistic Institute, Linguistic Society of America (USD $2,000)
Fee waiver to attend the 2017 Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institute, University of Kentucky
2016
Summer Research Scholarship, Australian National University (AUD $800)
To annotate a corpus of Ngaanyatjarra alternate sign language, used in Australia's Western Desert
Refereed Conference Papers
2024
Reed, Lauren W.; Lutzenberger, Hannah; Safar, Josefina; & de Vos, Connie (accepted). How do you listen in sign language? A comparative study of backchannelling in four sign languages. Paper accepted to VisLang 2024, Tilburg University, 27-28 June.
2023
Reed, Lauren W. & Mount, Alison (2023). The Language Revival Index: A strengths-based complement to traditional language vitality indices. Paper presented at Australian Linguistic Society annual meeting, University of Sydney, 1 December. https://www.academia.edu/117204756/Reed_and_Mount_2023_The_Language_Revival_Index_presentation_to_Australian_Linguistic_Society
2019
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). A novel comparative method for young sign languages: Base comparison. Paper presented at Australian Linguistic Society annual meeting, Macquarie University, Sydney, 12 December. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.11356508
Reed, Lauren. (2019). “Culture sign is my favourite”: Bilingualism and identity in the Port Moresby deaf community. Paper presented at Symposium on Sociolinguistic Variation in Signed and Spoken Languages of the Asia-Pacific Region, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK, 12 July 2019. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9758678
2018
Ellis, Elizabeth Marrkilyi; Green, Jennifer; Reed, Lauren; Simpson, Jane; & Kral, Inge. (2018). An exploration of the handshapes and phonology of Western Desert alternate sign languages. Paper presented at Australian Languages Workshop, Marysville, Victoria, 3 March.
2017
Reed, Lauren & Rumsey, Alan. (2017). Initial observations of mouth action distribution, type, and variation in Kailge Sign Language, an undocumented sign language of Papua New Guinea. Paper presented at Australian Linguistic Society annual conference, University of Sydney, 6 December.
Refereed Conference Posters
2019
Reed, Lauren W & Rumsey, Alan. (2019). Sign networks, and a nucleated network sign language of Papua New Guinea. Poster presented at TISLR13 (Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research), University of Hamburg, 26 September 2019. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9896489
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). Co-expression of past and future in a sign language of rural Papua New Guinea. Poster presented at TISLR13 (Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research), University of Hamburg, 27 September 2019. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9901727.v1
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). A sociolinguistic sketch of the Port Moresby deaf community and Papua New Guinea Sign Language. Poster presented at TISLR13 (Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research), University of Hamburg, 28 September 2019. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9896429
2017
Reed, Lauren & Rumsey, Alan. (2017). Initial observations of mouth action type and distribution in an undocumented sign language of Papua New Guinea. Poster presented at the 2017 Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, 16 July.
Presentations, Seminars and Invited Talks
2024
Reed, Lauren W. and Kaitlyn Lodewikus. (2024). The AIATSIS Dictionaries Project. Lexicography and Dictionaries Symposium, Australian National University, Canberra, 2 April.
2023
Reed, Lauren W. and Kaitlyn Lodewikus. (2023). National Indigenous Languages Survey. CONVERGE First Nations Media National Conference, Canberra, 22 November.
Reed, Lauren W. and Jason Chong. (2023). Co-designing the 4th NILS: What does alive and thrive mean to you? Wangka Kanyilku Wangkawa! Decolonising First Nations' Languages Conference, Kalgoorlie, 26 October.
Reed, Lauren W. and Jason Chong. (2023). The Fourth National Indigenous Languages Survey. PULiiMA Indigenous Languages and Technology Conference, Darwin, 24 August.
Reed, Lauren W. (2023). Australian Indigenous Sign Languages. Aboriginal Sign Language Forum, University of Sydney, 31 July.
Reed, Lauren W, Jason Chong and Alison Mount. (2023). The Fourth National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS4). Australian Languages Workshop, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, 22 July.
Reed, Lauren W. and Jason Chong. (2023). The Fourth National Indigenous Languages Survey: Tracking the Health and Strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages. AIATSIS Summit, Perth, 6 July.
2022
Reed, Lauren W. (2022). Parallel conversation in homesign. Evolutionary Perspectives on Tool Manipulation and Gestural Communication. Annual Symposium, Words Bones Genes Tools DFG Center for Advanced Studies, University of Tuebingen, 14 October.
Reed, Lauren W. (2022). Baby talk in Aksen Bilong Kakuyl. Communicative modality in cross-cultural perspective workshop, Australian National University, 21 July.
2020
Reed, Lauren W. (2020). Widening the lens on "Generation 0". Emergence of Language in Social Interaction (ELISA) kick-off meeting, Tilburg University, 17 December.
Reed, Lauren W. (2020). "Switching caps": Exploring bilingual practices in deaf Port Moresby. Language Talks! seminar series, University of New England, 29 October. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.13159742
Reed, Lauren W. (2020). Sign networks: Insights from Papua New Guinea for sign language typology. CoEDL Fest, University of Queensland, 5 February.
Reed, Lauren W and Rumsey, Alan. (2020). Ku Waru clause chains and the acquisition of complex syntax. CoEDL Fest, University of Queensland, 5 February.
Reed, Lauren W. (2020). Sign linguistics for non-sign linguists (CoEDL Fest crash course series). CoEDL Fest, University of Queensland, 3 February.
2019
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). Verb 'agreement' in a sign language of Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. Presentation to Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, 7 October.
Reed, Lauren W. (2019). Verb 'agreement' in a sign language from Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. Presentation to Sign Pop-Up, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 20 September.
Reed, Lauren. (2019). Understanding and not-understanding among sign language users in the New Guinea Highlands. Presentation to the Rumsey Symposium, Australian National University, 15 August. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9761489
Planer, Ronald J. and Reed, Lauren. (2019). Handling the data: The role of emerging sign languages in the study of language evolution. Presentation to the University of Edinburgh, 17 July.
Reed, Lauren and Rumsey, Alan. (2019). Young sign languages, multimodality and rapid language evolution in Papua New Guinea. Presentation to CoEDL Fest, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 4 February. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9759572
2018
Reed, Lauren; Rumsey, Alan; Merlan, Francesca; & Onga, John. (2018). The communicative ecology of deaf sign languages in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Seminar for the Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, Canberra, 12 October. Presentation available to watch via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNDZPpEJkH0, and slides via https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/2ShUz8KKfmK8YaM
Reed, Lauren. (2018). “Now the story’s turning around”: Directionality and associated motion in Ende, a language of southern New Guinea. Presentation to workshop, Directionality or associated motion? Evidence from diverse languages, Australian National University, Canberra, 22 June.
2017
Reed, Lauren & Rumsey, Alan. (2017.) New research on a vernacular sign language in the New Guinea Highlands. Seminar for the Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, Canberra, 18 August.
Reed, Lauren (2017.) ‘Speaking by moving’: Ngaanyatjarra traditional sign language. Presentation to the Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, Canberra, 19 January.
Reed, Lauren. (2017). Primary and alternate sign languages: Auslan and Ngaanyatjarra sign language. Presentation to National Youth Science Forum, Australian National University, Canberra, 5 January.
Community Resources
2018
I designed, filmed and recorded "Gagan: Colours in Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay & Auslan" in partnership with Winanga-Li Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, Gunnedah, New South Wales. The video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1wPrgNv6f8
2017
In conjuction with Kate L. Lindsey and the Ende Language Committee, I worked with the Ende community in Limol, Western Province, Papua New Guinea to transcribe, translate and illustrate two books of hunting and fishing stories in Ende, a Pahoturi River language of PNG:
Corpora
Lauren Reed (collector), 2018. Papua New Guinea Sign Language. Collection LWR2 at catalog.paradisec.org.au [Open Access]. http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/LWR2
Lauren Reed (collector), 2015. Western Highlands Sign Languages. Collection LWR1 at catalog.paradisec.org.au [Open Access]. http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/LWR1
Rumsey, Alan; Andrew Noma; Lauren Reed; Naomi Peck; Charlotte van Tongeren; & Stephanie Yam. (Processing). Ku Waru Child Language Socialization Study (KWCLSS) contribution to Language, ACQuisition, DIVersity Lab (ACQDIV).
Contributor to: Kate L. Lindsey (collector), 2007. Language Corpus of Ende and other Pahoturi River Languages. Collection LSNG08 at catalog.paradisec.org.au [Open Access]. https://dx.doi.org/10.26278/5c1a5cfcaacde
Academic and Industry Employment
February 2022 - present
Senior Linguist, AIATSIS Centre for Australian Languages, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
October 2022 - December 2022
Senior Governance and Policy Officer, Ethics, Privacy & Legal Unit, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
March 2022 - July 2022
A/g Director, Education and Ethics, AIATSIS
September 2021 - March 2022
Assistant Director, Education and Ethics, AIATSIS
April 2021 - September 2021
A/g Research Fellow (Linguistics), Indigenous Culture & Policy, AIATSIS
October 2020 - March 2021
Project manager, Ethics and Research Leadership, AIATSIS
August 2020 - September 2020
Project officer, Ethics and Research Leadership, AIATSIS
March 2017 - August 2020
Research assistant to Professor Alan Rumsey, Australian National University
Coordinating Professor Rumsey's team of research assistants
Working with corpus managers to clean and refine the corpus for quantitative analysis
Glossing in FLEx of child language material in Ku Waru, a Trans-New-Guinea language of Papua New Guinea
Coding and analysis of child language material for research projects, such as a study into the acquisition of clause chains by children
Preparing Ku Waru data for accession to ACQDIV, a corpus of child language acquisition data in maximally diverse languages
Developing and maintaining the Ku Waru Child Language and Socialization Study website
January 2020 - June 2020
Course coordinator, co-lecturer and tutor, Australian National University
Coordination of ANU's flagship introductory linguistics course with over 100 students
Development and delivery of lectures, tutorial problems, assessments and final exam
Coordination of a team of two tutors, including developing marking guides
Overseeing rapid and unexpected transition to online delivery due to inception of COVID-19 pandemic
August 2019 - June 2020
Research assistant to Dr Danielle Barth, Australian National University
Annotation in ELAN of gesture and enactment by speakers of Matukar Panau, an Austronesian language of Papua New Guinea
March 2017 - October 2018
Research assistant to Dr Jennifer Green, University of Melbourne
Annotation in ELAN of alternate sign language used in Ngaanyatjarra, Warlpiri and Gurindji communities of Australia
Teaching
2024
Guest lecturer, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University
Qualitative Research Methods (LING8026)
2023
Tutor, Tjabal Centre, Australian National University
Gamilaraay (an Australian Aboriginal language) (INDG2003)
2021
Guest lecturer, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University
Critical Issues in Intangible Cultural Heritage (HUMN8035)
Tutor, Tjabal Centre, Australian National University
Gamilaraay (an Australian Aboriginal language) (INDG2003)
2020
Coordinator, co-lecturer (with Alexandra Marley) and tutor, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University
Introduction to the Study of Language (LING1001/6001)
Guest lecturer, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University
Papuan Languages (LING3031/6031)
2019
Tutor, Tjabal Centre, Australian National University
Gamilaraay (an Australian Aboriginal language) (INDG2003 and INDG2004)
Guest lecturer, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University
Language, Culture, Translation (LING2015/6015)
Cross Cultural Communication (LING2021/6021)
Child Language Acquisition (LING2521/6521)
2018
Guest lecturer, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University
Learning an Indigenous Australian Language (AUST1001/6008)
Language in Indigenous Australia (LING2016/6016)
Professional Activities and Service
2024
Reviewer, Languages
2023-2024
Chief Investigator, ARC LIEF-funded Nyingarn project
2020-present
Editorial board member, Ishara Research Series
2020-2022
Australasia regional representative, Sign Language Linguistics Society (co-held with Gabrielle Hodge and Rachel McKee)
Member, Sign Language Linguistics Society
2020
Reviewer, ANU Student Research Conference
Reviewer, First Language
Co-organiser (with Alan Rumsey), 'Aksen: Sign, gesture and multimodality in Australia and Papua New Guinea', conference which was to be held at Australian National University, Canberra, 6-8 October. Postponed due to COVID-19.
Co-organiser (with Matthew Carroll and Nick Evans), Papuan Languages Workshop, workshop which was to be held at Australian National University Kioloa Coastal Campus, New South Wales, 27-31 March. Postponed due to COVID-19.
2018
Organiser, 'Directionality or associated motion? Evidence from diverse languages', workshop at Australian National University, Canberra, 22 June.
Founding Member, Australian National University Sign Language Collective
2017-present
Affiliate, Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (acceptance via application)
2016-present
Member, Australian Linguistic Society
Non-Academic Work History
Prior to starting in linguistics, I worked as a food writer and food tour guide, specialising in Melbourne's culturally diverse Western suburbs. You can see my old blog here. I am married to Dr Ronald J. Planer, with whom I share four children.