Dr Kook-Hee Gil

School of English

Reader in Applied Linguistics, Graduate Director of English Language and Linguistics

Gil Kook-Hee sitting at desk
Profile picture of Gil Kook-Hee sitting at desk
k.gil@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0229

Full contact details

Dr Kook-Hee Gil
School of English
Jessop West
1 Upper Hanover Street
Sheffield
S3 7RA
Profile

My main research areas include syntax, semantics and second language acquisition.

After obtaining my BA in English Literature and Linguistics at Chungnam National University (Korea) in 1993, I came to the UK and completed all my postgraduate degrees at the University of Edinburgh: MSc in Applied Linguistics and in Speech and Language Processing in 1994 and 1995 respectively, followed by a PhD in 2000, with a thesis entitled "A formal account to Long-Distance Anaphora: the case of Korean" supervised by Ronnie Cann.

In 2001-2004, I worked as a research fellow for a AHRC funded project "Strategies of Quantification" at the University of York, before coming to Sheffield as a lecturer in Applied Linguistics in 2004.

Research interests

My research areas are in Syntax, Semantics and Second Language Acquisition. 

My most recent research concern L2 acquisition of (wh)-quantifiers (L2 Korean and L1 English/Japanese/Chinese), L2 acquisition of bare plurals and count/mass distinction, and classroom implications by Generative SLA research.  The latter kind of research has led to a number of special workshops at conferences such as AAAL (2011), GASLA (2013) and LAGB (2016).

In the past, I worked on syntactic and semantic phenomena including binding, scrambling, topic/focus. (floating) quantifiers, classifiers and wh-indeterminates, also in Second Language Acquisition regarding those linguistic phenomena.

Publications

Edited books

  • Gil K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (Eds.) (2013) Strategies of Quantification. Oxford: Oxford: OUP.
  • Whong M, Gil K-H & Marsden H (Eds.) (2013) . Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.

Journal articles

  • Hammond T & Gil K-H (2025) . Instructed Second Language Acquisition, 9(1), 30-61.
  • Gil KH (2019) . Second Language, 18, 25-45.
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Whong M (2019) . Language Teaching Research, 23(2), 218-236.
  • Rastelli S & Gil K-H (2018) . Instructed Second Language Acquisition, 2(2), 242-263.
  • Marsden H, Whong M & Gil KH (2018) . Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(1), 91-118.
  • Whong M, Gil K-H & Marsden H (2014) . Second Language Research, 30(4), 551-568.
  • Gil K-H & Marsden H (2013) . Linguistic Approaches to Bilinguiaism, 3, 117-149-117-149.
  • Gil K-H & Tsoulas G (2011) Elucidating the notion of syntax-pragmatics interface. Linguistic Approaches to Bilinguiaism, 1.
  • Gill K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (2007) Distributivity and Quantification in Korean. York Papers in Linguistics Series, 2, 21-44-21-44.
  • Gill K-H (2004) Wh Quantification in Korean, Japanese and Malayalam: A Comparative View. York Papers in Lingustics Series, 2.
  • Gil K-H () Restructuring vs. Development: when typological closeness does not facilitate L2 acquisition. Second Language Research.

Book chapters

  • Liu Y & Gil K-H (2024) In Velnić M, Dahl A & Listhaug KF (Ed.), Current Perspectives on Generative SLA - Processing, Influence, and Interfaces: Selected proceedings of the 16th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (pp. 88-110). John Benjamins Publishing Company
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Park S (2021) Beyond L1-L2 Morphological Similarities: L2 Korean WH Lexical Ambiguity- In Jeon H-S, Sells P, You Z, Kita S & Yeon J (Ed.), Japanese/Korean Linguistics CSLI Publications
  • Gil K-H, Grillo N, Marsden H, Radkevich N, Sloggett S, Tsoulas G & Yeo N (2021) Theory and Acquisition of Experientials In Jeon H-S, Sells P, You Z, Kita S & Yeon J (Ed.), Japanese/Korean Linguistics (pp. 3-17). Standford University: CSLI Publications.
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Tsoulas G (2018) , Mind Matters in SLA (pp. 52-71). Channel View Publications
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Tsoulas G (2018) In Wright C, Piske T & Young-Scholten M (Ed.), Mind Matters in SLA (pp. 52-71). Multilingual Matters
  • Gil KH, Whong M & Marsden H (2013) Introduction: Generative second language acquisition and language pedagogy In Whong M, Gil KH & Marsden H (Ed.), Universal Grammar and the Second Language Classroom (pp. 1-13). Netherlands: Springer .
  • Gil K & Tsoulas G (2013) , Strategies of Quantification (pp. 1-12). Oxford University PressOxford
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Whong M (2013) , Educational Linguistics (pp. 139-159). Springer Netherlands
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Whong M (2013) L2 Acquisition of Quantifiers In Whong M, Gil K-H & Marsden H (Ed.), Universal grammar and second language acquisition (pp. 139-160-139-160). Springer Netherlands
  • Gil K-H (2012) Scrambling Chains and Long-distance Anaphors In Frellisvig B, Kiaer J & Wrona J (Ed.), Studies in Japanese and Korean Linguistics Lincom Europa
  • Gil K-H, Marsden H & Whong M (2011) L2 acquisition of any: negative evidence, negative implicatures and negative L1 transfer In Granena G, Koeth J, Lee-Ellis S, Lukyanchenko A, Botana GP & Rhoades E (Ed.), Selected Proceedings of the 2010 Second Language Research Forum: Reconsidering SLA Research, Dimensions, and Directions (pp. 29-39). Somerville MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project
  • Gil K-H & Tsoulas G (2009) , Quantification, Definiteness, and Nominalization (pp. 133-160). Oxford University PressOxford
  • Gil K-H & Tsoulas G (2009) Quantification, The Nominal Mapping Parameter, and DP Structure in Korean and Japanese In Ginnakidou & Rathert (Ed.), Quantification, Definiteness, and Nominalization OUP: USA
  • Gill K-H & Tsoulas G (2008) Quantification, the Nominal Mapping Parameter, and DP Structure in Korean and Japanese In Giannakidou & Rathert (Ed.), Quanfication, Definiteness, and Nominalization OUP: Oxford
  • Gill K-H & Tsoulas G (2004) Peripheral Effects without Peripheral Syntax: The left periphery in Korean In David Adger CDC & Tsoulas G (Ed.), Syntactic Edges and Their Effects Kluwer Academic Publishers: Amsterdam
  • Gil K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (2004) Connectives, Indeterminates, and Quantificational Variability In Bonami O & Hofherr PC (Ed.), Empirical Issues in Syntax and Semantics 5 CNRS, Paris-7
  • Kook-Hee Gill SH & Tsoulas G (2003) Quantificational Variability and Crosslingusitic Semantics In Yoon H (Ed.), Generative Grammar in a Broader Perspective Hankook PUblishing Company: Seoul
  • Kook-Hee Gill SH & Tsoulas G (2003) Conjunction, Disjunction and Quantificational Forces, Harvard Studies in Korean Linguistics X Dept. of Linguistics, Harvard University
  • Gil K-H & Hammond T () Fixed expressions as bootstrapping mechanisms into L2 phrase structure: Examining trends in a longitudinal learner corpus In Dahl A & Listhaug KF (Ed.), Language Acquisition and Language Disorders
  • Gil K, Marsden H & Tsoulas G () Mind Matters In Wright C, Piske & Young-Scholten (Ed.), Mind Matters Multi Lingual Matters
  • Gil K-H & Tsoulas G () Features, concord and quantification In Gil K, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (Ed.), Strategies of Quantification Oxford: Oxford University Press

Conference proceedings

  • Gil K-H (2025) L2 ACQUISITION OF KOREAN wh QUANTIFIERS: L1 TRANSFER AT THE LEXICAL MAPPING. MIT Working {P}apers in Linguistics 96 (MITWPL96) (pp 25-38). Cambridge (Mass.)
  • Gil K-H & Hammond T (2023) Interrogative Chunks, Derivational Complexity and L1 Transfer at the Initial State of L2 French. Proceedings of the 47th annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. Sommervile, MA
  • Gil K-H & Park S (2016) POS and the Role of Input: The case of Generics in L2 English. Proceedings of the 13h Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA2015) (pp 203-210). Somerville, MA
  • Gil K-H & Marsden H (2010) L2 acquisition of polarity items: the case of Korean-English interlanguage. Selected papers from the second European Conference on Korean Linguistics (pp 60-74)
  • Gil K-H & Marsden H (2010) Semantics before Syntax: L2 knowledge of anyone by Korean speaking learners. Proceedings of the Mind-Context Divide Workshop (pp 40-51-40-51)
  • Kook-Hee Gill SH & Tsoulas G (2004) Quantificational Variability and Crosslinguistic Semantics. Proceedings of the Seoul GLOW
  • Gill K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (2004) Connectives, Indeterminates, and Quantificational Variability. Empirical Issues in Syntax and Semantics 5 (pp 75-88-75-88)
  • Gil K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (2003) Disjunction, Quantification and Free Choice. WeCoL 14
  • Gil K-H, Harlow S & Tsoulas G (2003) Conjunction, Disjunction and Quantificational Forces. Harvard Studies in Korean Linguistics X
  • Kook-Hee Gill SH & Tsoulas G (2002) The Paradox of wh-na. Explorations in Korean Languages and Linguistics (pp 73-90-73-90)
  • Gill K-H & Tsoulas G (2002) Remarks of Topic and Focus and the Syntax-Phonology Interface in Korean. Explorations in Korean Language and Linguistics (pp 91-106-91-106)
  • (2002) On the Form and Meaning of Certain Korean Quantifiers
  • Gill K-H (2001) Floating Quantifiers in Korean. Harvard Studies in Korean Linguistics IX (pp 328-337-328-337)
  • Gill K-H (1999) Rethinking Topicalisation and Caki-Binding. Harvard Studies in Korean Linguistics VIII (pp 328-337-328-337)
  • Gill K-H (1999) Long-distance Anaphora Conspiracy: The case of Korean. Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Penn Linguistics Colloqium
  • Kook-Hee Gill AS & Tsoulas G (1998) Word Order in Korean, Antisymmetry and Mirro Theory. The 11th International Conference on Korean Linguistics
  • Gill K-H (1998) Topic and Binding. Proceedings of Edinburgh Postgraduate Conference of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
  • Gill K-H (1997) Long-Distance Anaphora in Korean: An HPSG account. Proceedings of Edinburgh Postgraduate Conference of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Research group

I welcome PhD applications whose topics lie in L2 acquisition of syntax and semantics as well as in syntactic and semantic phenomenon aforementioned in my research profile. I have supervised on topics including L2 acquisition of article semantics and generics, mass-count distinction and plurality, prosody transfer hypothesis and null arguments.

Teaching activities

In the undergraduate programme, I teach Linguistic Theory, Semantics and Second Language Acquisition.  For the postgraduate programme, I contribute to MA in Applied Linguistics and teach 'Introduction to Language and Linguistics', 'Introduction to Second Language Acquisition', 'Current Issues in Second Language Acquisition' and 'Research Methods'.