Origins of Phonology and Lexicon: Abstract representations before 6 months. Language is one of the most sophisticated human abilities, yet infants learn it easily. The current view is that the origins of language are abstract representations of consonants and vowels that start to form at 6-10 months. However, recent evidence shows that abstraction begins before 3 months, and that carer-infant conversations are vital to the process. This study involves tracking infants’ behavioural and brain deve ....Origins of Phonology and Lexicon: Abstract representations before 6 months. Language is one of the most sophisticated human abilities, yet infants learn it easily. The current view is that the origins of language are abstract representations of consonants and vowels that start to form at 6-10 months. However, recent evidence shows that abstraction begins before 3 months, and that carer-infant conversations are vital to the process. This study involves tracking infants’ behavioural and brain development from 1 to 18 months and analysing carer-infant speech, to determine how early abstraction supports vocabulary growth, how carer speech assists this process, and what early conditions predict language development, thus benefiting earlier identification of language delay, and saving significantly on later remediation.Read moreRead less
The effect of sound change on children's speech in community diversity. This project aims to explain how children's speech processing adapts to cultural and linguistic diversity and how such adaptation may seed sound change in language. Using acoustic and articulatory (ultrasound) methods, the project intends to explain how children rapidly and authentically acquire the intricately nuanced accents of their communities. The project aims to advance theories of language variation and change by prov ....The effect of sound change on children's speech in community diversity. This project aims to explain how children's speech processing adapts to cultural and linguistic diversity and how such adaptation may seed sound change in language. Using acoustic and articulatory (ultrasound) methods, the project intends to explain how children rapidly and authentically acquire the intricately nuanced accents of their communities. The project aims to advance theories of language variation and change by providing new insights into the forces that shape the sounds of language. An understanding of how children's speech patterns develop and ultimately converge to local norms has implications for the social integration of second language learning children and refugee/asylum seekers, and for clinical and speech technology applications for children.Read moreRead less
Developmental trajectory of tongue control for speech with real-time MRI. This project aims to evaluate the developmental trajectory of tongue control during speech, relating dynamic 3D vocal tract modelling to the acoustic signal. By optimising real-time MRI technology to capture and model articulatory movements, the project expects to accelerate understanding of how tongue control for speech is developed, mastered, and perturbed by factors such as rapid growth and foreign accent. Expected outc ....Developmental trajectory of tongue control for speech with real-time MRI. This project aims to evaluate the developmental trajectory of tongue control during speech, relating dynamic 3D vocal tract modelling to the acoustic signal. By optimising real-time MRI technology to capture and model articulatory movements, the project expects to accelerate understanding of how tongue control for speech is developed, mastered, and perturbed by factors such as rapid growth and foreign accent. Expected outcome is a new understanding of how different speakers' vocal tracts change and how speech is reshaped, informed by real physiological data. Significant benefits will be realised through refined methods and theory development for diverse fields e.g. linguistics, speech science, and automatic speech recognition/synthesis. Read moreRead less
Bridging the meaning gap: A computational approach to semantic variation. This project aims to create and validate a new class of large language models that capture and partially explain semantic variation between people. We will (1) measure nuanced differences in word meaning and linguistic experience across individuals; (2) develop computational models that incorporate this variation; and (3) evaluate the extent to which the models capture behavioural and cognitive differences related to polit ....Bridging the meaning gap: A computational approach to semantic variation. This project aims to create and validate a new class of large language models that capture and partially explain semantic variation between people. We will (1) measure nuanced differences in word meaning and linguistic experience across individuals; (2) develop computational models that incorporate this variation; and (3) evaluate the extent to which the models capture behavioural and cognitive differences related to political affiliation, gender, and culture. This will advance our understanding of the nature and origin of individual differences as well as improve the calibration of AI systems for under-represented groups. These advances will support eventual applied outcomes in health, domestic security, and resilience to misinformation. Read moreRead less
Are super-complex words represented like sentences in speakers' minds? This project aims to examine speakers' knowledge of super-complex words in the remote Australian language Wubuy. The project will provide a crucial test of current theories of language processing and linguistic typology via experimental work on the Indigenous language Wubuy, a language that defies the perceived fundamental distinction between words and phrases. This will have significant benefit to Indigenous language mainten ....Are super-complex words represented like sentences in speakers' minds? This project aims to examine speakers' knowledge of super-complex words in the remote Australian language Wubuy. The project will provide a crucial test of current theories of language processing and linguistic typology via experimental work on the Indigenous language Wubuy, a language that defies the perceived fundamental distinction between words and phrases. This will have significant benefit to Indigenous language maintenance and revitalisation efforts and thus help improve Indigenous education outcomes and reinforce cultural pride.Read moreRead less
Beyond Segments: Towards a lexical model for tonal bilinguals. Most people in the world today speak more than one language. Thus, they need to decide, unconsciously, which language to use at any given time. This project aims to understand how healthy adult bilinguals resolve competition from their unintended language to communicate successfully in the intended language. In both bilingual language comprehension and production, the project will characterise the role of an under-explored linguistic ....Beyond Segments: Towards a lexical model for tonal bilinguals. Most people in the world today speak more than one language. Thus, they need to decide, unconsciously, which language to use at any given time. This project aims to understand how healthy adult bilinguals resolve competition from their unintended language to communicate successfully in the intended language. In both bilingual language comprehension and production, the project will characterise the role of an under-explored linguistic dimension, lexical tone, in cross-language processing. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of bilingual communication and theories of bilingual language use, and practical implications for optimal language learning for bilinguals and intervention for clinical populations who speaks two languages. Read moreRead less
Learning to tell a narrative in Murrinhpatha. This project aims to examine the linguistic, social, and cognitive stages of children’s narrative development in Murrinhpatha, an Indigenous Australian language spoken in Wadeye. Until they encounter the bilingual education system at primary school, the children of Wadeye grow up in a largely monolingual Murrinhpatha environment. The research will examine how children structure narratives in this typologically unusual language. It will provide insigh ....Learning to tell a narrative in Murrinhpatha. This project aims to examine the linguistic, social, and cognitive stages of children’s narrative development in Murrinhpatha, an Indigenous Australian language spoken in Wadeye. Until they encounter the bilingual education system at primary school, the children of Wadeye grow up in a largely monolingual Murrinhpatha environment. The research will examine how children structure narratives in this typologically unusual language. It will provide insights into how information interacts with linguistic complexity, cognitive constraints and social interaction. This project aims to maintain the vitality of Murrinhpatha in the community and contribute to the development of bilingual education programmes.Read moreRead less
Teaching and testing second language pragmatic skills. This project aims to develop understanding of what it means to be communicatively proficient in English as a second language. Drawing on research in second language acquisition, pragmatics and language testing, the project will develop a set of language tests to assess learners’ ability to use English appropriately in everyday situations. The tests will then be used to evaluate the effectiveness of language instruction in developing this abi ....Teaching and testing second language pragmatic skills. This project aims to develop understanding of what it means to be communicatively proficient in English as a second language. Drawing on research in second language acquisition, pragmatics and language testing, the project will develop a set of language tests to assess learners’ ability to use English appropriately in everyday situations. The tests will then be used to evaluate the effectiveness of language instruction in developing this ability. Outcomes will include a set of novel language tests and valuable information about effective language instruction. The project will inform the extent to which migrants possess the pragmatic skills needed to live and work in Australia and how they can be helped to acquire these skills.Read moreRead less
Wikipedia and the nation’s story: Towards equity in knowledge production. As the world’s largest source of public information, Wikipedia is a crucial site in which national stories are made. This project aims to institute a critical approach to understanding Wikipedia by investigating how it produces knowledge in its coverage of Australian historic events. The project expects to advance digital media studies, utilizing an innovative conceptual approach to undertake the first systematic examinati ....Wikipedia and the nation’s story: Towards equity in knowledge production. As the world’s largest source of public information, Wikipedia is a crucial site in which national stories are made. This project aims to institute a critical approach to understanding Wikipedia by investigating how it produces knowledge in its coverage of Australian historic events. The project expects to advance digital media studies, utilizing an innovative conceptual approach to undertake the first systematic examination of events from a national perspective. Expected outcomes include an expanded evaluation framework and an international research collaboration. This should provide significant benefits, building research capacity and creating tools to help generate more equitable coverage for millions of users in Australia and beyond.Read moreRead less
Investigating literary knowledge in the making of English teachers. This project aims to create new understanding of the role of literary knowledge within subject English. English education is mandated in Australian schooling; however, subject content as well as teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical approaches are highly contested, particularly regarding the teaching of literature. Using a national survey, focus group interviews and a longitudinal study, the project aims to provide new understandi ....Investigating literary knowledge in the making of English teachers. This project aims to create new understanding of the role of literary knowledge within subject English. English education is mandated in Australian schooling; however, subject content as well as teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical approaches are highly contested, particularly regarding the teaching of literature. Using a national survey, focus group interviews and a longitudinal study, the project aims to provide new understandings of the literary knowledge that early career teachers need, of the impact of curricula and professional practice on disciplinary knowledge, and about the operation of literary studies across school and university. Significantly, it plans to use ‘literary sociability’, an innovative methodology, to generate empirical and conceptual perspectives on literary studies in Australia that will be of value internationally.Read moreRead less