John R. Roberts
Degrees
- Ph.D. Linguistics, University College London (1986)
Current positions
- International Linguistics Consultant (2004– )
- Linguistics consultant in Eurasia (2000– )
Other experience
- Academic Director SIL UK Training and Research Dept, (1998–2000)
- Graduate International Programme UK Coordinator (1996–2000)
- Senior Linguistics Consultant, SIL PNG (1988–1994)
Memberships
- Linguistic Society of America
- Alumni membership of SOAS library
Language proficiency
- English
- Tok Pisin 4
- Amele 3
Research interests
- Syntax
- Role and Reference Grammar
- discourse studies
- lexicography
Selected publications
Publications in SIL International Bibliography
2001. “Impersonal constructions in Amele,” in Alexandra Y. Aikenvald, R. M. W. Dixon, Masayuki Onishi eds.Non-canonical marking of subjects and objects. Typological Studies in Language 46,pp. 201-250. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
1997. “GIVE in Amele,” in The Linguistics of Giving,J. Newman, ed. Pp. 1-33. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
1997. “The syntax of discourse structure.” Notes on Translation 11.2,15-34.
1997. “Switch-reference in Papua New Guinea: A preliminary survey,” in Papers in Papuan linguistics, A. Pawley, ed. No. 3, 101-241.Pacific Linguistics, A-87, 1997
1991. “Reduplication in Amele ” in T. Dutton, ed. Papers in Papuan linguistics, No. 1, 115-146.
1990. “Modality in Amele and other Papuan languages. ” Journal of Linguistics 26, 363-401.
1988. “Amele switch-reference and the theory of grammar. ” Linguistic Inquiry 19.1, 45-63
1987. > Amele. London: Croom Helm.
Selected papers presented
2006. Lexical categories and syntactic categories. Presented at the Eurasia Area Linguistics Forum meeting, ETP UK, Horsleys Green (UK).
2005. Scrambling in Persian: an RRG Approach. Presented at the First International Conference on Iranian Linguistics, Uppsala University (Sweden).
1993. Object Agreement in Amele. A Preliminary Report. Presented at the 1993. LSPNG Conference, Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea).
1992. The Category ‘Irrealis’ in Papuan Medial Verbs. Presented at the Symposium on Mood and Modality, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
1992. The Morphological and Syntactic Status of Verbs in Amele. Presented at the Third International Conference on Papuan Linguistics, Sept 1992, Madang (Papua New Guinea).
1990. Reduplication in Amele. Presented at the Philological Society, School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
Selected online publications
2007. Features of Persian Discourse Structure. SIL Insite website.
2005. Rā in Persian and Information Structure. RRG website http://linguistics.buffalo.edu/people/faculty/vanvalin/rrg.html
2005. Scrambling in Persian: an RRG Approach. RRG website http://linguistics.buffalo.edu/people/faculty/vanvalin/rrg.html