My main research interest is multilingualism. With neurophysiological methods, I test the impact of the environment on the ease with which multilinguals switch between their languages. During their everyday conversations, multilinguals can employ each language to different degrees. This can, for example, depend on whom multilinguals are speaking to. How does the brain adjust to these different language environments to achieve successful communication? Not only do bilingual conversations occur in different situations, but other activities unrelated to language also occur in various situations (e.g., driving on a highway or downtown). Is the neural plasticity during bilingual conversations an example of domain-general abilities or a different language-specific ability?

Wybrane publikacje

Timmer, K. & Costa, A., & Wodniecka., Z., (2021). The source of attention modulations in bilingual language contexts. Brain and language, 223, 105040. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105040

Liu, C., Jiao, L., Timmer, K., & Wang, R. (2021). Structural brain changes with second language learning: A longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study. Brain and Language, 222. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105015

Timmer, K., Wodniecka., Z., & Costa, A. (2021). Rapid attentional adaptations due to language (monolingual vs bilingual) context. Neuropsychologia, 159. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107946

Liu, C., Jiao, L., Li, Z., Timmer. K., & Wang, R. (2020). Language control network adapts to second language learning: A longitudinal rs-fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 150, 1-11.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107688

Wodniecka, Z., Casado, A., Kałamała, P., Marecka, M, Timmer, K.*, Wolna, A. (2020). The dynamics of language experience and how it affects language and cognition. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, Volume 72, 235-281.

DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2020.02.005 – * All co-authors are in alphabetical order.

Liu, C., Timmer. K., Jiao, L., & Wang, R. (2019). Symmetries of comprehension-based language switch costs in conflicting versus non-conflicting contexts. International Journal of Bilingualism, 1-11. DOI: 10.1177/1367006919848487

Liu, C., Timmer. K., Jiao, L., Yuan, Y., & Wang, R. (2019). The influence of contextual faces on bilingual language control. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72, 2313-2327.

DOI: 10.1177/1747021819836713

Timmer, K., Calabria, M., & Costa, A. (2019). Non-linguistic effects of language switching training. Cognition, 182, 14-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.09.001

Timmer, K., Christoffels, I. K., & Costa, A. (2019). On the flexibility of bilingual language control: The effect of language context. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 22, 555-568. DOI: 10.1017/S1366728918000329

Timmer, K., Calabria, M., Branzi, F. M., Baus, C., & Costa, A. (2018). On the reliability of switching costs across time and domains. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1032. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01032

Timmer, K., Grundy, J. G., & Bialystok, E. (2017). Earlier and more distributed neural networks for bilinguals than monolinguals during switching. Neuropsychologia, 106, 245-260. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.09.017

Timmer, K. & Chen, Y. (2017). Dutch-Cantonese bilinguals show segmental processing during Sinitic language production. Frontiers in Psychology – Language Sciences, 8, 1133. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01133

Timmer, K., Grundy, J. G., & Bialystok, E. (2017). The influence of contextual cues on representations in the mental lexicon for bilinguals. In M. Libben, M. Goral, & G. Libben (Eds.), Bilingualism: A Framework for Understanding the Mental Lexicon (pp. 123-142. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamin’s Publishing Company. DOI: 10.1075/bpa.6.06tim

Grundy, J. G., & Timmer, K. (2016). Cognitive mechanisms underlying performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals. In J.W. Schwieter (Ed.), The Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism (pp. 377-397). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamin’s Publishing Company. DOI: 10.1075/bpa.2.16gru.

Grundy, J. G., & Timmer, K. (2016). Bilingualism and working memory capacity: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Second Language Research, 1-16. DOI: 10.1177/0267658316678286.

Christoffels, I., Timmer, K., Ganushchak, L., & La Heij, W. (2015). On the production of interlingual homophones: delayed naming and increased N400. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 31, 628-623. DOI: 10.1080/23273798.2015.1120877.

Kaczer, L., Timmer, K., Bavassi, L., & Schiller, N. O. (2015). Distinct morphological processing of recently learned compound words: An ERP study. Brain research, 1629, 309-317. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.10.029.

Timmer, K., & Schiller, N.O. (2014). Neural correlates reveal sub-lexical orthography and phonology during reading aloud: a review. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 884. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00884.

Timmer, K., Ganushchak, Y. A., Mitlina, Y., & Schiller, N. O. (2014). Trial by trial: selecting first or second language phonology of a visually masked word. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 29, 1059-1069. DOI: 10.1080/01690965.2013.824994.

Tamaoka, K., Saito, N., Kiyama, S., Timmer, K., & Verdonschot, R. G. (2014). Is pitch accent necessary for comprehension by native Japanese speakers? An ERP investigation. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 27, 31-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2013.08.001.

Timmer, K., Ceusters, I., & Schiller, N. O. (2014). Second language phonology is active when using your first language. Brain and Language, 133, 14-25.  DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.03.004.

Timmer, K., & Schiller, N. O. (2012). The role of orthography and phonology in English: An ERP study on first and second language reading aloud. Brain Research, 1483, 39-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.09.004.

Timmer, K., Vahid-Gharavi, N., & Schiller, N. O. (2012). Reading aloud in Persian: ERP evidence for an early locus of the masked onset priming effect. Brain and Language, 122, 34-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.04.013.

I will teach advanced research methods and experimental design in neuroscience and psycholinguistics in the Cognitive Science Master. I am also interested in working with undergraduate and graduate students, who are interested in research into bilingualism/multilingualism and cognition.