Roumyana Slabakova
About
I am Full Professor and Chair of Applied Linguistics in the Modern Languages and Linguistics department at the University of Southampton, UK. I am also adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Language and Literature at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
At the University of Southampton, I am the Director of the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research (CLLEAR). At NTNU, I am affiliated with the AcqVA research group directed by Professor Marit Westergaard and Professor Terje Lohndal.
Bio
I was born in Varna, Bulgaria and studied at the English-medium high school there. I completed my undergraduate education in English Philology at the Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski," specializing in linguistics and educational psychology. I taught English for academic purposes at the same university before I embarked on my postgraduate studies. My PhD degree was awarded by McGill University, Montreal, Canada, where I studied under the supervision of Professor Lydia White. My dissertation investigated the second language acquisition of aspect by Bulgarian native speakers learning English. I taught and conducted research at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA before I came to the University of Southampton in 2013. I joined NTNU in 2019.
I recently became a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA).
Research
My research is grounded in generative linguistic theory and explores the second language (L2) acquisition process. My theoretical focus is the acquisition of grammatical structure and its interaction with meaning. I use online and offline psycholinguistic methodologies to investigate the following theoretical issues:
- What is the linguistic nature of the bilingual and multilingual grammar?
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Are there some properties of language (e.g. words, sounds, sentence structure) that are easier to acquire than others (e.g. functional morphemes, grammatical meanings)? Are there are some properties, such as pragmatic universals, that will come for free in the grammar of the learner?
-
Can lexical, phrasal and sentence meaning be acquired in the L2? How does the interface between form and meaning affect the L2 acquisition of meaning?
-
What is the effect of the native language in the acquisition of a second language? What are the effects of the native and the second language in the acquisition of a third language?
-
How does linguistic and processing complexity affect knowledge of meaning in the L2? How do children acquiring their native language and adult L2 learners compare in this respect?
Publications
2021
-
Bayram, Fatih;
Di Pisa, Grazia;
Rothman, Jason;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Current Trends and Emerging Methodologies in Charting Heritage Language Bilingual Grammars.
The Cambridge Handbook of Heritage Languages and Linguistics.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared.
Languages.
volum 6 (1).
Academic article
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Mitrofanova, Natalia;
Anderssen, Merete;
Rodina, Yulia;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit.
(2021)
Crosslinguistic influence in L3 acquisition across linguistic modules.
International Journal of Multilingualism.
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Does Full Transfer endure in L3 acquisition?.
Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism.
volum 11 (1).
Short communication
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Second Language Acquisition.
A Companion to Chomsky.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Semantics.
Introducing Linguistics Theoretical and Applied Approaches.
Chapter
-
Sokolova, Mariana;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Processing similarities between native speakers and non-balanced bilinguals.
International Journal of Bilingualism.
Academic article
2020
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2020)
Aspectual contrasts in the English present tense revisited: Exploring the role of input and L1 influence.
Pedagogical Linguistics.
volum 1 (1).
Academic article
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2020)
The Present Tense in English, Again.
Formal Linguistics and Language Education.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Leal, Tania;
Dudley, Amber;
Stack, Micah.
(2020)
Generative Second Language Acquisition.
Cambridge University Press. 2020. ISBN 9781108762380. Second language acquisition (1).
Academic monograph
2019
-
Dominguez, Laura;
Hicks, Glyn;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Terminology choice in generative acquisition research: the case of “incomplete acquisition” in heritage language grammars.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 41 (2).
Academic article
-
Hicks, Glyn;
Dominguez, Laura;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Choice of words matters, but so does scientific accuracy: Reply to peer commentaries.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 41 (2).
Short communication
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit;
Lundquist, Bjørn.
(2019)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English.
Second Language Research.
Academic article
-
Leal, Tania;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
The relationship between L2 instruction, exposure, and the L2 acquisition of a syntax-discourse property in L2 Spanish.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Marsden, Heather;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Grammatical Meaning and the Second Language Classroom. Introduction to the special issue of Language Teaching Research.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Shimanskaya, Elena;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
L1-L2 differences in the L2 classroom: Anticipating Anglophone learners' difficulties with French pronoun interpretation.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
“L” Stands for Language.
The Modern Language Journal.
volum 103 (S1).
Academic literature review
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis Updated.
Three Streams of Generative Language Acquisition Research.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
What attrites when and why: Implications of the Bottleneck Hypothesis.
The Oxford Handbook of Language Attrition.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Corbet, James;
Domínguez, Laura;
Dudley, Amber;
Wallington, Amy.
(2019)
Explorations in Second Language Acquisition and Processing.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2019. ISBN 978-1-5275-2776-8.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
2018
-
Morgan-Short, Kara;
Marsden, Emma;
Heil, Jeanne;
Issa, Bernard I;
Leow, Ronald P.;
Mikhaylova, Anna;
Mikolajczak, Sylwia;
Moreno, Nina;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Szudarski, Pawel.
(2018)
Multisite Replication in Second Language Acquisition Research: Attention to Form During Listening and Reading Comprehension.
Language Learning.
volum 68 (2).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Back to our roots.
Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism.
volum 8 (6).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Inflectional Morphology.
The Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Research Timeline: L2 Semantics from a formal linguistic perspective.
Language Teaching.
volum 51 (2).
Academic literature review
2017
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit.
(2017)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: A study of L1 Norwegian speakers’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English.
Proceedings of the 41st annual Boston University Conference on Language Development.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Leal, Tania;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Farmer, Thomas.
(2017)
The Fine-Tuning of Linguistic Expectations Over the Course of L2 Learning.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 39 (2).
Academic article
-
Shimanskaya, Elena;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2017)
Re-assembling Objects: A New Look at the L2 Acquisition of Pronominal Clitics.
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.
volum 20 (3).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2017)
The Scalpel Model of Third Language Acquisition.
International Journal of Bilingualism.
volum 21 (6).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Garcia mayo, Maria del pilar.
(2017)
Testing two models of third language acquisition.
L3 Syntactic Transfer: Models, new developments and implications.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
White, Lydia;
Brambatti Guzzo, Natalia.
(2017)
Pronoun interpretation in the second language: Effects of computational complexity.
Frontiers in Psychology.
volum 8.
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared.
Languages.
volum 6 (1).
Academic article
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Mitrofanova, Natalia;
Anderssen, Merete;
Rodina, Yulia;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit.
(2021)
Crosslinguistic influence in L3 acquisition across linguistic modules.
International Journal of Multilingualism.
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Does Full Transfer endure in L3 acquisition?.
Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism.
volum 11 (1).
Short communication
-
Sokolova, Mariana;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Processing similarities between native speakers and non-balanced bilinguals.
International Journal of Bilingualism.
Academic article
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2020)
Aspectual contrasts in the English present tense revisited: Exploring the role of input and L1 influence.
Pedagogical Linguistics.
volum 1 (1).
Academic article
-
Dominguez, Laura;
Hicks, Glyn;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Terminology choice in generative acquisition research: the case of “incomplete acquisition” in heritage language grammars.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 41 (2).
Academic article
-
Hicks, Glyn;
Dominguez, Laura;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Choice of words matters, but so does scientific accuracy: Reply to peer commentaries.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 41 (2).
Short communication
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit;
Lundquist, Bjørn.
(2019)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English.
Second Language Research.
Academic article
-
Leal, Tania;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
The relationship between L2 instruction, exposure, and the L2 acquisition of a syntax-discourse property in L2 Spanish.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Marsden, Heather;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
Grammatical Meaning and the Second Language Classroom. Introduction to the special issue of Language Teaching Research.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Shimanskaya, Elena;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
L1-L2 differences in the L2 classroom: Anticipating Anglophone learners' difficulties with French pronoun interpretation.
Language Teaching Research.
volum 23 (2).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
“L” Stands for Language.
The Modern Language Journal.
volum 103 (S1).
Academic literature review
-
Morgan-Short, Kara;
Marsden, Emma;
Heil, Jeanne;
Issa, Bernard I;
Leow, Ronald P.;
Mikhaylova, Anna;
Mikolajczak, Sylwia;
Moreno, Nina;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Szudarski, Pawel.
(2018)
Multisite Replication in Second Language Acquisition Research: Attention to Form During Listening and Reading Comprehension.
Language Learning.
volum 68 (2).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Back to our roots.
Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism.
volum 8 (6).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Research Timeline: L2 Semantics from a formal linguistic perspective.
Language Teaching.
volum 51 (2).
Academic literature review
-
Leal, Tania;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Farmer, Thomas.
(2017)
The Fine-Tuning of Linguistic Expectations Over the Course of L2 Learning.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
volum 39 (2).
Academic article
-
Shimanskaya, Elena;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2017)
Re-assembling Objects: A New Look at the L2 Acquisition of Pronominal Clitics.
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.
volum 20 (3).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2017)
The Scalpel Model of Third Language Acquisition.
International Journal of Bilingualism.
volum 21 (6).
Academic article
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
White, Lydia;
Brambatti Guzzo, Natalia.
(2017)
Pronoun interpretation in the second language: Effects of computational complexity.
Frontiers in Psychology.
volum 8.
Academic article
Books
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Leal, Tania;
Dudley, Amber;
Stack, Micah.
(2020)
Generative Second Language Acquisition.
Cambridge University Press. 2020. ISBN 9781108762380. Second language acquisition (1).
Academic monograph
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Corbet, James;
Domínguez, Laura;
Dudley, Amber;
Wallington, Amy.
(2019)
Explorations in Second Language Acquisition and Processing.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2019. ISBN 978-1-5275-2776-8.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Part of book/report
-
Bayram, Fatih;
Di Pisa, Grazia;
Rothman, Jason;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Current Trends and Emerging Methodologies in Charting Heritage Language Bilingual Grammars.
The Cambridge Handbook of Heritage Languages and Linguistics.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Second Language Acquisition.
A Companion to Chomsky.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2021)
Semantics.
Introducing Linguistics Theoretical and Applied Approaches.
Chapter
-
Dudley, Amber;
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2020)
The Present Tense in English, Again.
Formal Linguistics and Language Education.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis Updated.
Three Streams of Generative Language Acquisition Research.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2019)
What attrites when and why: Implications of the Bottleneck Hypothesis.
The Oxford Handbook of Language Attrition.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana.
(2018)
Inflectional Morphology.
The Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Jensen, Isabel Nadine;
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Westergaard, Marit.
(2017)
The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: A study of L1 Norwegian speakers’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English.
Proceedings of the 41st annual Boston University Conference on Language Development.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Slabakova, Roumyana;
Garcia mayo, Maria del pilar.
(2017)
Testing two models of third language acquisition.
L3 Syntactic Transfer: Models, new developments and implications.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Media
2022
-
Academic lectureMitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2022) Subtractive language groups design – a new standard in L3A research. Poznań Linguistic Meeting PLM51 . Adam Mickiewicz University; Poznan. 2022-09-08 - 2022-09-10.
2021
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Academic lectureJensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Anderssen, Merete; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2021) Bilingual transfer across linguistic modules. EuroSLA30 ; 2021-06-30 - 2021-07-03.
2019
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Academic lectureJensen, Isabel Nadine; Anderssen, Merete; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit. (2019) Does L1 Transfer Explain Everything in L2 Acquisition?. Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition (GALA 14) . University of Milano-Bicocca; Milan. 2019-09-12 - 2019-09-14.
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PosterSlabakova, Roumyana; Anderssen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Westergaard, Marit. (2019) Crosslinguistic influence in L3 Acquisition across linguistic modules. Multilingual Language Acquisition, Processing and Use . Universität Konstanz; Konstanz. 2019-06-07 - 2019-06-08.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana; Anderssen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Westergaard, Marit. (2019) L1 transfer in early L2 acquisition across linguistic modules. EuroSLA 29 ; Lund. 2019-08-28 - 2019-08-31.
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Academic lectureSokolova, Marina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Evidence for Prediction-based Processing in Native and Non-Native Speakers of Russian and English. Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition 14 . University Milano Biccocal; Milan. 2019-09-12 - 2019-09-14.
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Academic lectureWestergaard, Marit; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Full transfer in L2 and L3 acquisition: Wholesale or property-by-property?. EuroSLA 29 ; Lund. 2019-08-28 - 2019-08-31.
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Academic lectureWestergaard, Marit; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2019) Full transfer in L3A: Wholesale or property-by-property?. Multilingual Language Acquisition, Processing and Use . Universität Konstanz; Konstanz. 2019-06-07 - 2019-06-08.
2018
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Academic lectureDudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Aspectual tense choice in native and L2 English: The effect of priming. Bilingual and L2 processing in Adults and Children ISBPAC . University of Brauschweig; Braunschweig. 2018-05-24 - 2018-05-25.
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Academic lectureDudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Exploring the role of feature reassembly and input: a study on aspectual development in L2 English. Bilingualism Forum . UIC; Chicago. 2018-10-11 - 2018-10-12.
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Academic lectureDudley, Amber; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Input and L1 influence: Aspectual tense morphology in L2 English, again. Workshop in Honor of Lydia White . McGill University; Montreal. 2018-08-30 - 2018-08-31.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Are Pronouns Difficult Words?. Chuo University Linguistics . Prof. Hirakawa; Chuo. 2018-11-10 - 2018-11-10.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Can linguistics help second language learners?. Gunma Prefectural Women’s University . Dr. Snape; Kaminote. 2018-11-08 - 2018-11-08.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Can linguistics help second language learners?. Konan University . Dr. Matsuo; Kobe. 2018-11-06 - 2018-11-06.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Can linguistics help the language classroom?. Sendai Linguistics . Miyagi Gakuin Women's University, Prof. Yusa; Sendai. 2018-11-03 - 2018-11-03.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Optionality and Ambiguity in L2 English Article Meanings. Virginia Yip lab seminar . The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong. 2018-06-13 - 2018-06-13.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) Pedagogical Implications of the Bottleneck Hypothesis. Fourth International Conference on Linguistics and Language Studies . Chartered Institute of Linguists Hong Kong Society; Hong Kong. 2018-06-15 - 2018-06-16.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) The Bottleneck Hypothesis and the language classroom. Braunschweig linguistics summer school . Technische Universität Braunschweig; Braunschweig. 2018-09-03 - 2018-09-04.
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2018) What does linguistics offer to language education?. Modern Linguistics & Language Didactics conference . University of Konstanz; Konstanz. 2018-03-15 - 2018-03-16.
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Academic lectureSokolova, Marina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) L3 sentence processing: Language-specific or phenomenon-sensitive?. EUROSLA . University of Munster; Munster. 2018-09-05 - 2018-09-08.
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Academic lectureSokolova, Marina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) L3-sentence processing: language-specific or phenomenon-sensitive?. Bilingualism Forum . UIC; Chicago. 2018-10-11 - 2018-10-12.
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Academic lectureSokolova, Marina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2018) L3-sentence processing: language-specific or phenomenon-sensitive?. Second Language Research Forum . UQAM; Montreal. 2018-10-24 - 2018-10-26.
2017
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Academic lectureSlabakova, Roumyana. (2017) How does linguistics help us to teach language better. Third English Language and Literature Conference (GELL) . Gulf University of Science and Technology; Kuwait City. 2017-04-17 - 2017-04-20.
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Academic lectureTuniyan, Elina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) L2 acquisition of definiteness in English: mapping two meanings to one form. Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA) 14 . University of Southampton; Southampton. 2017-04-04 - 2017-04-06.
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Academic lectureTuniyan, Elina; Slabakova, Roumyana. (2017) L2 acquisition of definiteness in English: non‐target mapping of anaphoricity onto 'the'. Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition (GALA) . University of the Baleares; Palma de Mallorca. 2017-09-07 - 2017-09-09.