Profile
Ashley Blake
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About Me:
I live in the East Midlands with my family. In my spare time I love reading and swimming!
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I grew up in Zimbabwe which has a lovely sunny climate, so I enjoy being outdoors. Although I don’t have any pets at the moment, I really love animals. I used to be a ‘dog’ person but recently I had a very special cat and think he converted me (you can see him below pretending that he wasn’t playing with the Christmas tree!) I also enjoy baking, when I have time.
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My pronouns are:
She/her
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My Work:
I am interested in learning more about Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). DLD is a common condition (approximately 2 people in every classroom have DLD) but lots of people do not know about it.
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In particular, I am interested in the relationship between certain cognitive abilities (for example, working memory), and language.
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My Typical Day:
A typical working day for me involves a mixture of work on my computer, teaching, and meetings. I try to fit in a swim on most days, either in the morning or the evening. My days usually involve lots of cups of tea too! 🙂
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My working day depends on the projects I am involved in. If I am working on a research study, then my day might involve planning and designing experiments, meeting people who are involved in my study, or looking at and analyzing data. Sometimes my days involve lots of reading and writing. On other days I might be teaching more, and on others I might have a lot of meetings. Usually my days are very varied and interesting!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use the money to help raise awareness regarding Developmental Language Disorder. This would involve either visiting schools or holding a public event to help others learn more about DLD.
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Education:
I was born and went to school in Zimbabwe.
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Qualifications:
High School, Bachelors degree (Education), Masters degree (Psychology), and PhD in Psycholinguistics.
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Work History:
I studied relatively late in my career so used to work in travel marketing and in primary schools before starting my career as a researcher.
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Current Job:
Research Scientist
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Employer:
Friedrich Alexander University, Erlangen, Nuremburg
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
scientist language nature
What did you want to be after you left school?
I was really unsure but I hoped to have a career working with animals (which didn't happen!)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes for not paying attention!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Run a coffee shop :)
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The Killers, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons.
What's your favourite food?
Chocolate!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Win the lottery ;), have lots of animals, travel lots!
Tell us a joke.
Why do dragons sleep during the day? So they can hunt knights!
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