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I'm Jingtao Zhu
There is a single computational system for human language which permits us to generate an infinite range of expressions from a limited set of elementary operations. An important way of approaching the nature of this capacity is by studying children’s knowledge of grammar. In my previous work, I addressed the first factor, namely the age at which we have evidence for the
presence of functional categories in child grammar by recording children’s eye-gaze patterns. I am also interested in characterizing the brain mechanisms responsible for the syntactic operations and understanding the neural bases of syntactic structure building.
On the other hand, as the director of ClicAsia,Centre d’Estudis Orientals, one important goal of my research is to guide second language (L2) acquisition. “Is the investigation on the first language acquisition relevant to L2 teaching?” or “Is it possible to apply our understanding of theoretical linguistics to develop better approaches to L2 teaching?” I approach these issues with a mix of experimental techniques, both with adults and with infants, by comparing typologically different languages (such as Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin). Such comparisons allow us to determine universal characteristics of syntactic processes and specificities in cross-linguistic variation.
Language acquisition (L1 and L2) and teaching
Hierarchical structure in (artificial) grammar learning
The acquisition of both canonical and non-canonical word orders
Language and cognition
Psycholinguistics
Linguistic relativity (In collaboration with Mingshan Xu)
Modern linguistic theories (and current evolutionary assumptions) insist that the blueprint underlying the human faculty of language tends to be simple, economical and systematic (Boeckx, 2006). Although the linguistic input is limited and fragmented, the development of a child's language occurs rapidly (Plato's problem).
However, the teachers' and students' experiences of real-life (second) language teaching and learning still prove to be complex, costly and sometimes chaotic.
This is what we call the language teaching paradox. Thus, is it really possible to identify "good" language teaching theories which are based on a deep understanding of this paradox, and how "good" are they?
Furthermore, what are the essential components of learnability (e.g. algorithmic mechanisms, parsing, parametric space, etc.), and how are these components connected? Finally, does the learner really need to "learn" the grammar, just as s/he learns the lexicon?
Thus, the objective of founding ClicAsia is to bring together linguists who are interested in language teaching and learning and who can contribute to answering the questions pertaining to the language teaching paradox. If you are interested in joining our team, you can send your CV to jtzhu@clicasia.com.
(Last updated: May 24, 2026)
On the other hand, as the director of ClicAsia,Centre d’Estudis Orientals, one important goal of my research is to guide second language (L2) acquisition. “Is the investigation on the first language acquisition relevant to L2 teaching?” or “Is it possible to apply our understanding of theoretical linguistics to develop better approaches to L2 teaching?” I approach these issues with a mix of experimental techniques, both with adults and with infants, by comparing typologically different languages (such as Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin). Such comparisons allow us to determine universal characteristics of syntactic processes and specificities in cross-linguistic variation.
My research interests lie in:
Language acquisition (L1 and L2) and teachingHierarchical structure in (artificial) grammar learning
The acquisition of both canonical and non-canonical word orders
Language and cognition
Psycholinguistics
Linguistic relativity (In collaboration with Mingshan Xu)
Join us:
Modern linguistic theories (and current evolutionary assumptions) insist that the blueprint underlying the human faculty of language tends to be simple, economical and systematic (Boeckx, 2006). Although the linguistic input is limited and fragmented, the development of a child's language occurs rapidly (Plato's problem).
However, the teachers' and students' experiences of real-life (second) language teaching and learning still prove to be complex, costly and sometimes chaotic.
This is what we call the language teaching paradox. Thus, is it really possible to identify "good" language teaching theories which are based on a deep understanding of this paradox, and how "good" are they?
Furthermore, what are the essential components of learnability (e.g. algorithmic mechanisms, parsing, parametric space, etc.), and how are these components connected? Finally, does the learner really need to "learn" the grammar, just as s/he learns the lexicon?
(Last updated: May 24, 2026)
