C-LaBL

Center for Language, Brain & Learning

About C-LaBL

Research at the Center for Language, Brain and Learning (C-LaBL) investigates how multiple languages interact in the mind/brain. By fostering collaborative research across linguistic theories, neuroscience, and language acquisi­tion/pro­cessing, we focus on the effects of multilingualism – for the languages involved, for the brains that house them, and for the learning and teaching of multiple languages.

C-LaBL is divided into three domains of study (Language, Brain, and Learning) that are linked by a cross-cutting research theme focusing on Linguistic Distance. The core work of C-LaBL investigates the interaction of multiple grammars in the multilingual mind/brain, with a main focus on the significance of lin­guistic dis­tance (simi­lari­ties/differences be­tween languages) for: (1) development, (2) crosslinguistic influence, (3) neuro­cognitive adapta­tions in the brain as a result of multi­lingual experience, and (4) instructed additional language learning.

Our work is theore­tically motivated and uses a variety of research methods, inclu­ding offline behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, electro­encephalography (EEG), and Magnetic Resonance Ima­ging (MRI).

The center is funded by the Trond Mohn Foundation and UiT The Arctic University of Norway 2024-2030. C-LaBL builds on and expands research done in the AcqVA Aurora center, which is funded by the Aurora Center Program at UiT, 2020-2026.

For events at the center, see Events.

Domains

C-LaBL consists of three domains, Language, Brain and Learning, which are by design tightly connected and feed into each other through an overarching research theme: Linguistic Distance.

The three domains and the cross-cutting research theme of C-LaBL
The three domains and the cross-cutting research theme of C-LaBL.

Click on the domains below to read more.




Language

CIs: Natalia Mitrofanova & Sergey Minor
Professor IIs: Ludovica Serratrice, Terje Lohndal & Marit Westergaard



Brain

CI: Vincent DeLuca
Professor IIs: Jubin Abutalebi & Jason Rothman



Learning

CI: Merete Brendeford Anderssen
Professor IIs: Victoria Murphy, Roumyana Slabakova & Anne Dahl

Labs


PoLaR (Psycholinguistics of Language Representation) Lab
AcqVA Lab

Projects

C-LaBL funded projects

Jenna Conklin

Modeling Artificial language data to extend the Typology of vowel and Consonant Harmony (MATCH)

Jenna Conklin
Project duration: August 2025 – August 2028

Anders Gabrielsen

The Neurocognitive Adaptations and Impact of Multilingualism and Linguistic Distance

Anders Gabrielsen
Project duration: September 2024 - September 2027

Divyanshi Shaktawat

Bidirectional CLI due to L3 acquisition in two sociolinguistic contexts

Divyanshi Shaktawat
Project duration: September 2024 - August 2027

Externally funded projects

Leena Maria Heikkola

Sustaining National Minorities in Education: Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish Experiences and Needs in Mainstream Schools (NAMED)

Leena Maria Heikkola
Project starting date: 2026

Kristine Bentzen

Speaking my Language, Living my Life: How ethnic contexts impact on language acquisition & use, identity formation and psychosocial well-being for Sámi and Kven children & adolescents

Kristine Bentzen
Project starting date: 2026

Monica I. Norvik

Sámi Aphasia and Morphology Initiative – Comprehensive Aphasia Testing

Monica I. Norvik
Project starting date: 2026

Natalia Mitrofanova

Multilingual Onset, Variation & Attrition (MOVA): Language Development and Language Preservation of Ukrainian Refugee Children in Europe

Natalia Mitrofanova
Project starting date: 01.01.2026

Neurocognitive Outcomes of Bilingualism and Effects on Language Learning (NOBELL)


Vincent DeLuca
Project starting date: 01.01.2026

Linguistic Integration of Refugee Children and their Families (LINC)


Olga Urek
Project duration: 2025 - 2028

Project Page

NABOR - Native vs. Borrowed Morphologies: The Case of Trojan Horse Participles in Senhaja Amazigh (Berber)

Evgeniya Gutova
Project duration: 1 September 2025 - 31 August 2027

Cross-linguistic influence during real-time processing in child heritage speakers (CLEAR)

Sara Košutar
Project duration: 18 September 2024 - 17 September 2026

Bilingual Experiences, Cognitive Ageing and underlying Mechanisms (BECAME)


Federico Gallo
Project duration: 1 September 2024 - 31 August 2026

 

Syllabification in Greek: Αn experimental investigation of how orthography messes with abstract representations (SIGMA)

Eirini Apostolopoulou
Project duration: 1 September 2024 - 31 August 2026

MAP - Multilingual Acquisition and Processing

Anastasiia Ogneva
Project duration: 1 September 2024 - 31 August 2026

Project Page

Using Diversity in Multilingual Experience as a Model to Study Neural Plasticity

Vincent DeLuca
Project duration: 2024 - 2026

Project Page

Multilingual Minds: grammar interaction in multilingual acquisition (MuMin)

Natalia Mitrofanova
Project duration: 2021 - 2026

Project Page

Multilectal Literacy in Education (MultiLit)

Øystein Alexander Vangsnes
Project duration: October 2020 - March 2026

Project Page

Completed

People

C-LaBL Leadership


Core investigators


C-LaBL Postdoctoral and PhD Fellows


Other members


Scientific advisory board


National Affiliates


Events

C-LaBL organises regular events, click the buttons below for the semester schedule. If you want to receive calendar invitations and updates from C-LaBL, you can subscribe to our mailing list (you can add your first name and last name in the subject of the email, but be sure to leave the body blank!).


Reading Groups

C-LaBL hosts five reading groups, each focused on a specific topic. To view the schedule for each group, click the buttons below.



News

C-LaBL is active on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Facebook (our X account only exists to protect our name). Video recordings are available on our YouTube channel.

C-LaBL in the press






           Flere språk til flere           

Flere språk til flere (More languages to more people) is C-LaBL’s outreach service. We are a branch of the research and information center Bilingualism Matters, a global network of more than 25 universities working on multilingualism, founded by Prof. Antonella Sorace in 2008. Our goal is to communicate research findings on multilingualism and language learning to a broader public. We believe that everyone can enjoy the benefits of having more than one language.

 Do you want to know more about multilingualism and language learning? Flere språk til flere can:

For further information, advice or to arrange a talk, please email us at Postboks-FSF@HSL.uit.no. You can follow us on Facebook or visit our website.

Flere språk til flere is directed by Yulia Rodina


Språkdag 2024

Want to work with us?

You can participate in our work by taking part in our studies through the AcqVA Lab and the PoLaR Lab. Keep an eye on this page for future job opportunities to join our research effort.

Publications

For a complete list of publications, please check the members’ webpages or individual research profiles in CRIStin (Current Research Information System in Norway). Publication highlights from previous years may be found on the AcqVA website.

2026

2025

2024

Events Archive


C-LaBL – Center for Language, Brain & Learning


A2008 HSL Faculty
marie-josee.h.halsor@uit.no
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