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Department of Cognitive Science

Amanda Miller Amberber

BAppSc (SpPath) LaTrobe, MA McGill.

Ms Amanda Miller Amberber

PhD Student

Contact Details

Office : C5C 483
email : amanda.milleramberber@mq.edu.au

External Address

Department of Cognitive Science
Australian Hearing Hub
16 University Avenue
Macquarie University NSW 2109

Thesis Details

Language switching in bilingual aphasia and bilingual dementia.

The aim of this research is to provide a systematic examination of the capacity to switch languages and the patterns of language switching for bilinguals with language impairment due to aphasia, bilinguals with dementia and healthy adult bilinguals. Grammatical and conversational patterns of switching will be investigated for early bilinguals, those who have acquired both languages in childhood, speaking language pairs that are less or more similar (Tagalog/French/Spanish and English) through performance on a range of experimental and general language and cognitive tasks. The results will have implications for our understanding of bilingual language representation, linguistic theory and bilingual aphasia therapy.

  • Scholarship : APA
  • Workload : full time
  • Supervisors : Professor Lyndsey Nickels, Associate Professor Rosalind Thornton, Emeritus Professor Max Coltheart and Distinguished Professor Stephen Crain

Selected Publications

Periodicals

  • Miller Amberber, A. (2012). Language intervention in French–English bilingual aphasia: Evidence of limited therapy transfer. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 25, 588-614. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2011.10.002
  • Miller Amberber, A., & Cohen, H. (2012). Assessment and treatment of bilingual aphasia and dementia using the Bilingual Aphasia Test. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 25, 515-519.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2011). Adapting the Bilingual Aphasia Test to Rarotongan (Cook Islands Maori) : linguistic and clinical considerations. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 25, 601-618.

Published Abstracts

  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Crain, S., & Coltheart, M. (2011). Grammatical impairment of code-switching but intact language selection in bilinguals with aphasia [Abstract]. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 23, 39-40.
  • Miller Amberber, A. Nickels, L., Coltheart, M., Crain, S., & Thornton, R. (2009). Language-switching and language selection in bilinguals with aphasia: Grammatical versus discourse impairment [Abstract]. Brain Impairment: Abstracts of the 32nd Brain Impairment Conference, 10, 138-139.
  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Coltheart, M., & Crain, S. (2008). Language switching in bilingual aphasia : what is 'pathological' code-switching? [Abstract]. Brain Impairment.

Published Conference Proceedings

  • Miller Amberber, A. (2011). Bilingualism in the ageing population: consequences of language change and language loss in bilingual dementia and aphasia. In (Ed.), Proceedings of the 10th National Emerging Researchers in Ageing Conference (pp. 197-204). Sydney, Australia: CEPAR.
  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Crain, S., & Coltheart, M. (2011). Switching languages in bilingual aphasia: evidence from Rarotongan, Maltese, French and English. In (Ed.), Proceedings of the 12th International Science of Aphasia Conference (pp. 104-107). Barcelona, Spain: Science of Aphasia.
  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Coltheart, M., Crain, S., & Thornton, R. (2009). Code-switching in bilinguals with aphasia: experimental evidence of grammatical impairment. In (Ed.), Proceedings of International Symposium on Bilingualism 7 the Netherlands: Utrecht University.

Conference Presentations, Colloquia, and other presentations

  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Coltheart, M. & Crain, S. (2012, September). Subcortical links in bilingual language representation. Poster session presented at the University of New South Wales Brain Sciences Symposium, Sydney.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2012, August). Intervention in the second language to improve communication after stroke. Poster session presented at the Stroke 2012 Conference, Sydney.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2012, July). Bilingualism and aphasia in the ageing population: Liaison with health and medical services. Paper presented at the Primary Health Care Research Conference, Canberra.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2012, July). Language and communication impairment in bilingual older adults: Impact on individuals and families. Paper presented at the Agency for Clinical Innovation Allied Health Forum, Sydney.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2012, May). Impact of language impairment following stroke in bilingual Australians over 45. Poster session presented at the 45 and Up Study Symposium, Sydney.
  • Miller Amberber, A., Nickels, L., Crain, S. & Coltheart, M. (2011, September). Switching languages in bilingual aphasia: evidence of grammatical impairment from Rarotongan, Maltese, French and English. Paper presented at the 12th International Science of Aphasia Conference, Barcelona.
  • Miller Amberber, A. (2011, January). Bilingualism in the ageing population: consequences of language change and language loss in bilingual dementia and aphasia. Paper presented at the 10th National Emerging Researchers in Ageing Conference, Sydney, Australia.