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Cross-linguistic perceptual evidence for the suffixing preference Date: 6 Nov 2025 (Thu) Time: 4:00 pm Join Zoom link: https://hku.zoom.us/j/98370566345?pwd=FHgSMHHyYrjCka4XRAOOw6uuOXiRiE.1 MEETING ID: 983 7056 6345 PASSWORD: 104306
On the alignment and misalignment of speech perception and productionDate: 30 Oct 2025 (Thu)Time: 4:00 pmVenue: Rm 3.04, 3/F Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
“Attention-LSTM autoencoder simulation for phonotactic learning from raw audio input” published in Linguistics Vanguard We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper by Frank Lihui Tan and Youngah Do in the journal Linguistics Vanguard. The paper, titled “Attention-LSTM autoencoder simulation for phonotactic learning from raw audio input,” explores a novel approach to phonotactic learning using an attention-based long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder trained on raw audio input. Unlike previous models that rely on abstract phonological representations, this study simulates early phonotactic acquisition stages by processing continuous acoustic signals. The research focuses on an English phonotactic pattern, specifically [...]
Phonological optimization for sight and sound: Disentangling visual-articulatory and auditory-acoustic factors in phonetic enhancement and hyperarticulation General Research Fund Award (GRF), 2025-28 Principal investigator: Jonathan Havenhill Amount: 941,184 HKD Abstract Sound is arguably the primary (and often only) medium by which spoken language is conveyed. This allows communication to proceed when the speaker is obscured, whether over the phone, in the dark, at a distance, or when wearing a face mask. At the same time, vision and other types of non-auditory perception are also important. Spoken language is often accompanied by facial expressions and manual gestures, and the ability to [...]
“Tonal Assignment of Chinese Lettered Words” published in Journal of Chinese Linguistics We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper by Zhihao Wang and Youngah Do in the Journal of Chinese Linguistics. The paper, titled “Tonal Assignment of Chinese Lettered Words,” explores the complex patterns of tonal assignment in Chinese lettered words, particularly in Beijing Mandarin. The study reveals that Chinese lettered words display a clear stress-to-tone match pattern, with additional rules of phonetic contrast maximization and a default rule also playing a role in tonal assignment. The findings suggest that the complex patterns previously reported in [...]
“Bilinguals’ advantages in executive function” published in Second Lang. Res. We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper by Samuel, Xiaoyu, Thomas, Bingzi, and Youngah. The paper, titled “Bilinguals’ Advantages in Executive Function: Learning Phonotactics and Alternation,” has been published in Second Language Research. This study investigates the relationship between phonotactics and alternation in phonological acquisition and explores whether bilingual speakers have an advantage in learning alternation patterns that are not fully supported by phonotactics. Phonotactics refers to the legal sequences and structures within a language’s phonology, while alternation involves context-sensitive changes in morphemes. The research predicts that [...]
Embracing Linguistics and Demographic Diversity to Study Language in the Brain Date: 13 Jun 2025 (Fri) Time: 3:00 pm Venue: Rm 4.04 Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
“Iconic hand gestures from ideophones exhibit stability and emergent phonological properties” published in CogLing We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper by Arthur, Thomas (joint first authors), Aaron, and Youngah in the journal Cognitive Linguistics. The paper, titled “Iconic hand gestures from ideophones exhibit stability and emergent phonological properties: an iterated learning study,” explores the stability and phonological properties of iconic hand gestures associated with ideophones. Ideophones are marked words that depict sensory imagery and are usually considered iconic by native speakers. The study investigates how these gestures are transmitted across generations using a linear iterated learning [...]
Introducing PaVeDa – The Pavia Verb Database Date: 10 Apr, 2025 (Thu) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: Rm 404, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Introducing PaVeDa – The Pavia Verb Database Date: 24 Apr, 2025 (Thu) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: Rm 758, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Relevance-theoretical approach to improving LLMs’ reasoning of authentic implicit toxic language Date: 6 March, 2025 (Thu) Time: Start at 3:30 pm * This seminar will be conducted via Zoom: https://hku.zoom.us/j/97385178645 Share This Event!
Metaphony, Umlaut, and ǃXóõ A-Raising Date: 20 March, 2025 (Thu) Time: Start at 4:30 pm Venue: Rm 404, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Share This Event!
Nasal vowel production in Chinese: A multimodal articulatory study Date: 27 February, 2025 (Thu) Time: Start at 4:30 pm Venue: Rm 404, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
“Preference for Distinct Variants in Learning Sound Correspondences During Dialect Acquisition” published on Language and Speech We are pleased to announce that Xiaoyu and Youngah’s paper, “Preference for Distinct Variants in Learning Sound Correspondences During Dialect Acquisition,” has been published in the journal Language and Speech. This research delves into how learners acquire sound correspondences (SCs) in second dialect acquisition. SCs occur when sounds occupy corresponding positions in cognate words of related languages or dialects. While SCs can consist of both similar and distinct variants, the impact of this similarity on learning has been understudied. In their study, Xiaoyu and Youngah [...]
“Substantive Bias in Artificial Phonology Learning” published on Lang. Linguist. Compass Artistic impression of the study. (AI-generated artwork) We are pleased to announce the publication of a review article by Ivy and Youngah, in Language and Linguistics Compass. The article, titled “Substantive Bias in Artificial Phonology Learning,” provides a comprehensive review of the research on substantive bias in phonological learning since the influential 2012 paper by Moreton and Pater. The review categorizes studies into vowel, consonant, and suprasegmental patterns, highlighting advancements in experimental paradigms, the definition of phonetic naturalness, and the exploration of various phonological phenomena. It emphasizes how subtle methodological [...]
On the Irish agreement pattern and its parallels Date: 28 November, 2024 (Monday) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: CPD-LG.40, Centennial Campus, HKU
Determinants of speech rate in naturalistic speech Date: 21 November, 2024 (Monday) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: Rm 7.58, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Individual versus systematic variation in speech: Examining sibilant and prosodic contrasts Date: 11 November, 2024 (Monday) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: Rm 7.58, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Revisiting mora-timing effects in Japanese vowel devoicing from a recoverability perspective Date: 7 November, 2024 (Thursday) Time: Start at 3:30 pm **This seminar will be conducted via Zoom** https://hku.zoom.us/j/93426875974?pwd=ceguJeDVgfllJIjKYAZgi3pobtJyga.1
Disentangling convergence and interference in Xiang elicited narratives Date: 31 October, 2024 (Thursday) Time: Start at 3:30 pm Venue: CPD-LG.61, Centennial Campus, HKU
