Professor Thora Tenbrink
Professor in Linguistics / Director of College Research Institute
Overview
I am Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Research at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. My main focus is on discourse analysis, used specifically to understand how people think. I am author of “Cognitive Discourse Analysis: An Introduction” (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and "Space, Time, and the Use of Language" (Mouton de Gruyter, 2007), co-editor of three books on linguistic representation and dialogue, and have published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles in areas of language, cognition and communication. In recent years my focus has moved from space (understanding spatial locations and relationships) to place (meaningful relationships to spaces), especially in relation to climate change.
I have always enjoyed interdisciplinary and international collaboration, within areas of cognitive or social science and beyond. Currently I am involved in SellSTEM, an international network of collaborative research led by Dublin, and in various Wales-wide endeavours and projects that address people's views on, and engagement with, environmental concerns. At Bangor, I founded and am now Director of the Places of Climate Change Research Centre (PloCC), an extensive interdisciplinary network of researchers addressing place-based aspects of climate change threats, mitigations and engagement. I am also co-leading the newly established Wales-wide WISERD network Place-based Approaches To Climate Change (PATCCh).
Additional Contact Information
Dean of Research in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Email: t.tenbrink@bangor.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1248 38 2263
Location:
Room 306, 39 College Road,
Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK
Qualifications
- DPhil: Localising objects and events: Discoursal applicability conditions for spatiotemporal expressions in English and German
Bremen University, 2005
Teaching and Supervision
I have taught modules across many areas of Linguistics as well as some in Cognitive Science.
Within Linguistics, my main current teaching focus is related to methodology, in particular concerning the use of language but also spanning other fields. This comprises Functions of Discourse (which introduces discourse analysis on the basis of Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar), Cognitive Discourse Analysis, Research Methods in Linguistics, and Language and Communication. My teaching covers fundamental areas in Linguistics (e.g., in Foundations of Linguistics) but also draws on wider insights from Cognitive Science.
I am happy to supervise postgraduate projects in all of the areas mentioned above, in particular those that employ discourse analysis and/or address topics in areas of cognitive linguistics, communication, functional grammar, and more - just get in touch to explore!
Research Interests
I'm interested in how we use language, and what this tells us about our thoughts (concepts and thought processes). For this purpose I developed an empirical method, Cognitive Discourse Analysis (CODA: Tenbrink, 2015, and 2020, Cambridge University Press). Typically this means giving speakers a particular task to do in which they express their thoughts in some way, and record what they say in response. The linguistic data are then analysed by looking in detail at how language is used to express thoughts. Insights can be related to previous research on how language relates to thought - for example from theoretical cognitive linguistics or other related fields.
Much of my research has focused on how we understand and talk about our spatial environments, for instance when we try to find our way to a destination, or explain how to find an office in a complex building. More recently my focus has turned to notions of place (rather than space): how do we express in language what places mean to us, how do we relate to them, and in what ways might this be affected by the effects of (or mitigations against) climate change?
For more information, please consult my website, knirb.net.
Postgraduate Project Opportunities
I welcome enquiries from students interested in pursuing a PhD related to cognitive discourse analysis and communication.
Publications
2024
- PublishedComparing thematic and search term-based coding in understanding sense of place in survey research
Cotton, I., McWherter, B., Tenbrink, T. & Sherren, K., Jun 2024, In: Journal of Environmental Psychology. 96, 102339.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - Accepted/In pressGender in teacher-student interactions: Another factor in spatial ability development and STEM affiliation
Gamarra Burga, E., Tenbrink, T. & Mills, D., 8 Mar 2024, (Accepted/In press) Spatial Cognition Conference Proceedings 2024. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review - PublishedMoving Figures and Grounds in music description
Wadley, P., Tenbrink, T. & Wallington, A., 24 Jan 2024, In: Cognitive Linguistics. 35, 1, 33 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - UnpublishedPeople’s perceptions of greenspace in their local area: A national survey
Owen, D. W., Roberts, S., Jones, L., Fletcher, D., Fitch, A. & Tenbrink, T., 2024, (Unpublished).
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
2023
- PublishedA multifaceted framework to establish the presence of meaning in non-human communication
Amphaeris, J., Blumstein, D., Shannon, G., Tenbrink, T. & Kershenbaum, A., 20 Jun 2023, In: Biological Reviews. 98, 6, p. 1887-1909 23 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedBritish and Irish newspapers implicitly support single-use masks over reusable face coverings
Auge, A., Tenbrink, T., Spear, M. & Abrams, N., Oct 2023, In: Frontiers in Communication. 8, 15 p., 1256349.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - Accepted/In pressCognitive Discourse Analysis
Tenbrink, T., 5 Apr 2023, (Accepted/In press) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Cognitive Linguistics. Wen, X. & Sinha, C. (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review - UnpublishedCommunity perceptions of new greenspace interventions: a case study in Rhyl in North Wales: Report to Denbighshire County Council
Roberts, S. & Tenbrink, T., 15 Dec 2023, (Unpublished) 52 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report - PublishedCommunity perceptions of new greenspace interventions: the case of Rhyl in North Wales
Roberts, S. & Tenbrink, T., 11 Sept 2023.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster - PublishedEnhancing community involvement in low-carbon projects: a study of northwest Wales climate assemblies
Roberts, S., Tenbrink, T. & Peisley, G., 2023, Bangor University. 35 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report - PublishedHow branding can show people’s love for a place and also help to highlight local challenges
Hanna, S. & Tenbrink, T., 29 Mar 2023, The Conversation.
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article - PublishedPlace attachment and perception of climate change as a threat in rural and urban areas
Tenbrink, T. & Willcock, S., 6 Sept 2023, In: PLoS ONE. 18, 9, e0290354.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSpatial Language in Map Tasks: A classroom observation
Gamarra Burga, E. & Tenbrink, T., 22 Jun 2023.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review - PublishedSpatiotemporal Reference Frames: Location and Orientation
Tenbrink, T., 11 Oct 2023, Handbook of Cognitive Semantics. Li, T. (ed.). Brill, p. 3-23 (Brill's Handbooks in Linguistics; vol. 4/3).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
2022
- PublishedCommunicating the space of sailing
Tenbrink, T., 2 Jun 2022, The Sailing Mind. Casati, R. (ed.). Springer, p. 73-88 16 p. (Studies in Brain and Mind; vol. 19).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review - PublishedEvaluating Jesus and other “heroes”: An application of appraisal analysis to Hellenistic Greek texts in the “Lives” genre
Lamb, D. A. & Tenbrink, T., 2022, In: Language, Context and Text. 4, 2, p. 227-258
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedIeithoedd a ffyrdd o feddwl
Tenbrink, T., 2022, Gwerddon Fach.
Research output: Other contribution - PublishedLinguistic expression of place appreciation in English and Welsh: A case study in North Wales
Tenbrink, T. & Williams, A. J., 20 Jun 2022, In: Journal of Spatial Information Science. 24, p. 87-114 28 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedLinguistic spatial reference systems across domains: How people talk about space in sailing, dancing, and other specialist areas
Tenbrink, T., 20 Jan 2022, In: Linguistics Vanguard. 8, S1, p. 151-159
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedOverlap not Gap: Understanding the Relationship between Animal Communication and Language with Prototype Theory
Amphaeris, J., Shannon, G. & Tenbrink, T., Jun 2022, In: Lingua. 272, 103332.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSpeaking of Location: Understanding, Interpreting and Generating Natural Language
Stock, K. (Editor), Jones, C. (Editor) & Tenbrink, T. (Editor), Oct 2022, In: Spatial Cognition and Computation: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 22, 3-4
Research output: Contribution to journal › Special issue › peer-review - PublishedSpeaking of Location: A Review of Spatial Language Research
Stock, K., Jones, C. & Tenbrink, T., 2 Oct 2022, In: Spatial Cognition and Computation: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 22, 3-4, p. 185-224
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review - PublishedSyntax and object types contribute in different ways to bilinguals’ comprehension of spatial descriptions
Foltz, A., Martín-Gascón, B., Silva Marytsch, F. P., Olloqui Redondo, J. & Tenbrink, T., Dec 2022, In: Language and Cognition. 14, 4, p. 645-671
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2021
- PublishedCognitive Linguistics Support for the Evolution of Language from Animal Cognition
Amphaeris, J., Shannon, G. & Tenbrink, T., Jul 2021.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review - Published“Omnibus”: A cross-modal experience between translation and adaptation
Tenbrink, T. & Lawrence, K., Jan 2021, In: JoSTrans: Journal of Specialised Translation. 35, p. 186-208
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2020
- PublishedCognitive Discourse Analysis: An Introduction
Tenbrink, T., 31 Jan 2020, Cambridge University Press. 275 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review - PublishedCognitive focus affects spatial decisions under conditions of uncertainty
Tenbrink, T., Taylor, H., Brunye, T. T., Gagnon, S. & Gardony, A. L., May 2020, In: Cognitive Processing. 21, 2, p. 287-302
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedMedia Bias: A Corpus-based Linguistic Analysis of Online Iranian Coverage of the Syrian Revolution
Algamde, A. & Tenbrink, T., 24 Nov 2020, In: Open Linguistics. 6, 1, p. 584–600
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedPragmatic and Conversational Features of Arabic-Speaking Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Examining performance and caregivers’ perceptions
Almehmadi, W., Tenbrink, T. & Sanoudaki, E., 20 Jul 2020, In: Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. 63, 7, p. 2308-2321
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedWhat spatial environments mean
Tenbrink, T., Jun 2020, In: Journal of Spatial Information Science. 20, p. 57-63
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2019
- PublishedEffects of animacy and linguistic construction on the interpretation of spatial descriptions in English and Spanish
Olloqui-Redondo, J., Tenbrink, T. & Foltz, A., 21 Jun 2019, In: Language and Cognition. 11, 2 (Special Issue on Iconicity), p. 256-284
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe language of architectural diagrams
Tenbrink, T., Conroy Dalton, R. & Williams, A. J., Sept 2019, COSIT 2019 : 14th Conference on Spatial Information Theory. Timpf, S., Schlieder, C., Kattenbeck, M., Ludwig, B. & Stewart, K. (eds.). Dagstuhl Publishing, p. 17:1-17:14
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
2018
- PublishedCued by what we see and hear: Spatial reference frame use in language
Coventry, K. R., Andonova, E., Tenbrink, T., Gudde, H. & Engelhardt, P., 13 Aug 2018, In: Frontiers in Psychology: Cognition. 9, 1287.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedDynamic strategy selection in collaborative spatial tasks
Galati, A., Panagiotou, E., Tenbrink, T. & Avraamides, M. N., Aug 2018, In: Discourse Processes. 55, 8, p. 643-665
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedFictive Motion in the Context of Mountaineering
Egorova, E., Tenbrink, T. & Purves, R. S., 2018, In: Spatial Cognition and Computation: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 18, 4, p. 259-284
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedNatural language and geography
Tenbrink, T., 27 Apr 2018, Handbook of Behavioral and Cognitive Geography. Montello, D. (ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review - PublishedObject orientation in dialogue: A case study of spatial inference processes
Schole, G., Tenbrink, T., Andonova, E. & Coventry, K. R., 2018, Spatial Cognition XI : 11th International Conference, Spatial Cognition 2018, Tübingen, Germany, September 5-8, 2018, Proceedings. Creem-Regehr, S., Schöning, J. & Klippel, A. (eds.). Springer, p. 92-106 (Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence; vol. 11034).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review - PublishedSculptors, architects, and painters conceive of depicted spaces differently
Cialone, C., Tenbrink, T. & Spiers, H., Mar 2018, In: Cognitive Science. 42, 2, p. 524-553
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2017
- PublishedCogSci 2017: Proceedings of the 39th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Gunzelmann, G. (Editor), Howes, A. (Editor), Tenbrink, T. (Editor) & Davelaar, E. (Editor), Aug 2017. 3999 p.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Other › peer-review - PublishedCommunicative success in spatial dialogue: The impact of functional features and dialogue strategies
Tenbrink, T., Andonova, E., Schole, G. & Coventry, K. R., 1 Jun 2017, In: Language and Speech. 60, 2, p. 318-329
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedDiscovering spatiotemporal concepts in discourse
Tenbrink, T., Jun 2017, The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Linguistics. Dancygier, B. (ed.). Cambridge University Press, p. 669-683 (Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review - PublishedPlace as location categories: Learning from language
Davies, C. & Tenbrink, T., Oct 2017, Proceedings of Workshops and Posters at the 13th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2017). Springer, p. 217-225 (Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review - PublishedSailing: Cognition, Action, Communication
Tenbrink, T. & Dylla, F., 31 Aug 2017, In: Journal of Spatial Information Science. 15, p. 3-33
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSituated interaction with a smart environment: Challenges and opportunities
Tenbrink, T., Aug 2017, In: KI - Künstliche Intelligenz. 31, 3, p. 257-264
Research output: Contribution to journal › Short survey › peer-review
2016
- PublishedEfficiently connecting textual and visual information in operating instructions
Tenbrink, T. & Maas, A., 29 Jan 2016, In: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.. 58, 4, p. 346 - 366
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedFrames of Reference
Tenbrink, T., 26 Dec 2016, Encyclopedia of GIS. Shekbar, S., Xiong, H. & Zhou, X. (eds.). 2 ed. Springer
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedOrientation and metacognition in virtual space
Tenbrink, T. & Salwiczek, L., 1 May 2016, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 42, 5, p. 683-705
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedTime will not help unskilled observers to understand a cluttered spatial scene
Tenbrink, T., Bergmann, E., Hertzberg, C. & Gondorf, C., 20 Jan 2016, In: Spatial Cognition and Computation: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 16, 3, p. 192-219
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2015
- PublishedChoose Your Words Wisely: What Verbal Hesitation Indicates About Eyewitness Accuracy
Thomas, A., Chen, C., Gordon, L. & Tenbrink, T., 3 Aug 2015, In: Applied Cognitive Psychology.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedCognitive Discourse Analysis: accessing cognitive representations and processes through language data
Tenbrink, T., Mar 2015, In: Language and Cognition. 7, 1, p. 98-137
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedConceptual Transformation and Cognitive Processes in Origami Paper Folding
Tenbrink, T. & Taylor, H. A., 7 Jul 2015, In: Journal of Problem Solving. 8, 1
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedWhere Snow is a Landmark: Route Direction Elements in Alpine Contexts
Egorova, E., Tenbrink, T. & Purves, R. S., 12 Oct 2015.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
2014
- PublishedBoundaries and Prototypes in Categorizing Direction
Mast, V., Wolter, D., Klippel, A., Wallgrun, J. O., Tenbrink, T., Freksa, C. (Editor), Nebel, B. (Editor), Hegarty, M. (Editor) & Barkowsky, T. (Editor), 15 Sept 2014, Spatial Cognition IX: Lecturers Notes in Computer Science. 2014 ed. Springer, p. 92-107
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedCognition and Communication in Architectural Design
Tenbrink, T., Hoelscher, C., Tsigaridi, D., Conroy Dalton, R., Montello, D. R. (Editor) & Grossner, K. E. (Editor), 21 Dec 2014, Space in Mind: Concepts for Spatial Learning and Education. MIT Press, p. 263-280
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedCognitive Discourse Analysis for MPC: analysing verbalised thoughts and communicative practices in MPC related research
Tenbrink, T., 29 Jan 2014.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedCognitive Discourse Analysis for visual imagery and creativity
Tenbrink, T., 21 Jun 2014.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedCognitive Discourse Analysis: A Method for Addressing Cognitive Processes and Concepts
Tenbrink, T., 18 Jun 2014.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedThe CatFramework for Spatial Semantics
Klippel, A., Wallgrün, J., Mast, V., Tenbrink, T. & Wolter, D., 12 Sept 2014.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedWhere did it come from, where do you go? Direction sources influence navigation decisions during spatial uncertainty
Brunyé, T. T., Gagnon, S. A., Gardony, A. L., Gopal, N. H., Taylor, H. A. & Tenbrink, T., 6 Oct 2014, In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 68, 3, p. 585-607
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2013
- PublishedAnnotation of negotiation processes in joint action dialogues
Tenbrink, T., Eberhard, K., Shi, H., Kubler, S. & Scheutz, M., 1 Jul 2013, In: Dialogue and Discourse. 4, 2, p. 185-214
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedCognitive Operations in Tour Planning
Seifert, I., Tenbrink, T., Tenbrink, T. (Editor), Wiener, J. M. (Editor) & Claramunt, C. (Editor), 31 Oct 2013, Representing Space in Cognition Interrelations of behaviour, language, and formal models. p. Chapter 8
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedRepresenting Space in Cognition: Interrelations of behaviour, language, and formal models
Tenbrink, T., Tenbrink, T. (Editor), Wiener, J. M. (Editor) & Claramunt, C. (Editor), 31 Oct 2013, Oxford University Press.
Research output: Book/Report › Book - PublishedSpatial Information Theory : 11th International Conference, COSIT 2013, Scarborough, UK, September 2-6, 2013. Proceedings
Tenbrink, T. (Editor), Stell, J. (Editor) & Galton, A. W. (Editor), 2 Sept 2013, Springer.
Research output: Book/Report › Book - PublishedSuccessful strategies for ambiguity resolution in dialogue
Schole, G., Tenbrink, T., Andonova, E. & Coventry, K., 16 Dec 2013.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedThe spatial thinking of origami: evidence from think-aloud protocols
Taylor, H. & Tenbrink, T., 12 Feb 2013, In: Cognitive Processing. 14, 2, p. 189-191
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - Published‘This is a wall’ – Assigning Function to Objects
Gralla, L. & Tenbrink, T., 31 Jul 2013.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
2012
- PublishedSpatial directionals for robot navigation
Winterboer, A., Tenbrink, T., Moratz, R., Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M. (Editor) & Zee, E. V. (Editor), 29 Nov 2012, Motion Encoding in Language and Space. Oxford University Press, p. 84-101
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedThe Role of Structure and Function in the Conceptualization of Directions
Klippel, A., Tenbrink, T., Montello, D. & Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M. Z. (Editor), 29 Nov 2012, Motion Encoding in Language and Space. Oxford University Press, p. 102-120
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedVisual versus verbal location information on the iPhone
Juhasz, O. E., Tenbrink, T. & Grueter, B., 20 Apr 2012, In: Kunestliche Intelligenz. 26, 2, p. 183-186
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2011
- PublishedReference frames of space and time in language
Tenbrink, T., 1 Feb 2011, In: Journal of Pragmatics. 43, 3, p. 704-722
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSpatial Strategies in the Description of Complex Configurations
Tenbrink, T., Coventry, K. R. & Andonova, E., 2 May 2011, In: Discourse Processes. 48, 4, p. 237-266
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedWould you follow your own route description? Cognitive strategies in urban route planning
Hölscher, C., Tenbrink, T. & Wiener, J. M., 1 Nov 2011, In: Cognition. 121, 2, p. 228-247
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2010
- PublishedA linguistic ontology of space for natural language processing
Bateman, J. A., Hois, J., Ross, R. & Tenbrink, T., 1 Sept 2010, In: Artificial Intelligence. 174, 14, p. 1027-1071
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Activities
2024
- WIN Network workshop: Sustainable Food Cymru
WIN Network: Sustainable Food Cymru Workshop at UWTSD
10 Sep 2024 – 11 Sep 2024
Links:
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker) - Selling Sustainability
Using enterprise thinking to promote the benefits of sustainability to our community
3 May 2024
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Public lecture/debate/seminar (Contributor) - The Value of Greenspace for Health and Well-being
This workshop was an opportunity to consider the connection of public health and local greenspace, sharing insights, findings and perspectives. We explored needs,
priorities, perceptions and preferences of stakeholders including Local Council officers and facilitators of community initiatives and discussed these alongside relevant academic expertise.
Our guiding question for the day was:
“What do people across various levels of experience think about managing greenspace on a local council level, through the lens of health and wellbeing?”
26 Feb 2024
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Public lecture/debate/seminar (Organiser)
2023
- Global Issue, Local Action: The GwyrddNi Community Assemblies on the Climate
28 Jun 2023
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker) - Warning to beach goers about the threat of tidal cut off
Initial findings of a UK and Irish survey of public understanding of the tide, found that 38% of the British public were unaware that the tide typically comes in twice a day. A surprising 15% of the public have some experience of being cut off by the tide.
Bangor University and RNLI press releases, aiming to warn people about tidal cut off around the extreme tides over Easter weekend were picked up by several TV and radio outlets.
BBC Wales news (audio) MediaView (tveyes.com)
S4C News (video) MediaView (tveyes.com)
ITV News (video uploaded here)
BBC Radio Cymru (interview with Prof Thora Tenbrink)
5 Apr 2023
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
2022
- Five ways to tell if someone is an expert, or just confident - from an actual expert
22 Aug 2022 →
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - China International Forum on Cognitive Linguistics
Invitation to present a series of 10 lectures to a large audience in Beijing, with subsequent publication as a monograph in the Brill series “Distinguished Lectures in Cognitive Linguistics”
Aug 2022 – 2023
Links:
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - BU-IIA Funded Project: Cut Off By Tide
Project abstract: Every year, hundreds of lifeboat and lifeguard operations occur to rescue coastal users who have become cut off by tide. Despite the RNLI’s best efforts there are still multiple fatalities.
Ultimately, to reduce the number of emergencies a deeper understanding of the reasons why coastal users become exposed to this hazard is required. This project will address this by looking at people’s concepts and understanding of the tide. Our goal is to help the RNLI develop precautionary measures in a more targeted way, responding directly to coastal users’ conceptual needs.
For instance, people will naturally generalise from previous experiences with the tide, not realising that tidal movements can differ radically between places and at different times. Furthermore, they will normally expect that the water will come in straight to the shore, not diagonally or in a curved or irregular fashion; they expect tide to come in quite slowly, and to be able to simply walk back on the sandbanks to the shore. However, the tide rarely just uniformly advances and retreats across a beach. Instead, it will initially flow laterally along channels and around sandbanks, cutting them off from the mainland and removing any safe route back to land.
Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £11,514
1 Apr 2022 – 31 Mar 2023
Activity: Other (Contributor) - Contribution to the Technical Advisory Group: Consensus statement on face masks for the public report.
Advice on the use of face coverings or masks by the public after the peak of the Omicron wave. Work for AHRC grant quoted in Welsh Government report
11 Mar 2022
Links:
Activity: Other (Contributor)
2021
- Mask wearing wasn’t disputed in previous crises – so why is it so hotly contested today?
25 Nov 2021
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Will mask wearing still be common in Britain after the pandemic is over?
6 Aug 2021
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
2020
- Representing and Solving Spatial Problems
Fully funded 5-day seminar awarded to Paulo Santos, Pedro Fernandez, Christian Freksa, and Thora Tenbrink.
19 Apr 2020 – 24 Apr 2020
Links:
Activity: Other (Organiser)
2019
- Keynote Talk
5 Sep 2019
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Language and Space: How we structure our world when we talk
24 Apr 2019
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis
Invited Lecture and Seminar on CODA
10 Apr 2019
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2018
- How our language reveals how we understand the world – and who we are
Invited talk
28 Nov 2018
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Linguistic spatial reference systems across everyday domains: How people talk about space in sailing, dancing, and horse riding
Invited talk in the Symposium "From fieldwork to modelling: Explaining the variability of linguistic spatial referencing systems"
12 Sep 2018
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Language as a representation of spatial thinking: exploring everyday domains
2 Jul 2018
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Tutorial at the Diagrams 2018 conference
18 Jun 2018
Links:
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser) - How our language reveals how we understand the world – and who we are
24 May 2018
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Language as a representation of spatial thinking: exploring everyday domains
Invited talk, Symposium on "Space in Text, Language, Mind: An Interdisciplinary Discussion", Department of Geography.
13 Apr 2018
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2017
- Analysing discourse relations in natural language: The case of space and time
Invited talk, Cognitive linguistics research seminar series
7 Dec 2017
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - BBC Radio Wales - Science Café episode
Synesthesia and thinking differently
22 Aug 2017
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - COGSCI
Thora Tenbrink was one of the main organisers of this event.
26 Jul 2017 – 29 Jul 2017
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Organiser) - Artists and architects think differently to everyone else – you only have to hear them talk
11 Jul 2017
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis of spatiotemporal reference frames in natural discourse
Invited talk
6 Apr 2017
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2016
- What your language reveals about your mind: Cognitive Discourse Analysis
Invited research seminar talk
23 Nov 2016
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Symposium Celebrating 25 Years of Cognitive Science
Cognitive Discourse Analysis
25 Sep 2016
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker) - Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Tenbrink, Thora. 2016. Verbalizing navigation: Explicit and implicit concepts.
13 Aug 2016
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker) - Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Full-day tutorial: Analysing discourse relations in natural language: The case of space and time.
10 Aug 2016
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser) - Spatial Cognition Conference
My contribution: Tenbrink, Thora and Taylor, Holly A. (2016) How cultural background affects running route descriptions. Spatial Cognition Conference, Philadelphia, USA, August 2-5, 2016.
2 Aug 2016 – 6 Aug 2016
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker) - External examiner for PhD viva
28 Jul 2016
Activity: Examination (Examiner) - Cognitive Linguistics Conference
18 Jul 2016 – 22 Jul 2016
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Organiser) - Interview for the 'Wayfinding' episode of the series 'Digital Human'
The episode was broadcast twice (once in April and once in August 2016)
25 Apr 2016
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Interviewee) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis of Spatiotemporal Reference Frames in Natural Language Use
Invited lecture and workshop on New paths of Research in Linguistics
18 Jan 2016
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis
Linguistisches Kolloquium, Fakultät für Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften
13 Jan 2016
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2015
- We need to make digital navigation tools more human – here’s how
We need to make digital navigation tools more human – here’s how
15 Dec 2015
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Presenter) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis
Invited guest lecture
26 Nov 2015
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker) - Cognitive Discourse Analysis and Discourse Relations
24 Nov 2015
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
Projects
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01/03/2024 – 15/10/2025 (Active)
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Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership (Rural Wales LPIP Phase 2)
01/01/2024 – 15/01/2027 (Active)
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01/04/2023 – 10/08/2024 (Finished)
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Community perceptions of new greenspace interventions in a deprived area
01/12/2022 – 11/08/2024 (Finished)
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Places of Climate Change PLoCC workshop
01/01/2022 – 01/08/2022 (Finished)
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01/01/2021 – 31/12/2199 (Active)
Other Grants and Projects
EU Project: Enhancing spatial ability to help close the gender gap in STEM Press release
Consortium member of EU project 956124: SellSTEM, EU H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020 Consortium initiated by Dr. Gavin Duffy, Dublin. Title: Spatial thinking in STEM learning: Training a new generation of researchers to increase enrolment and gender balance in STEM learning by addressing deficits in spatial ability among children in Europe. Duration: January 2021 - December 2024.