Research

1. The division of labor between (morpho)syntax and semantics in complex predicates. Topics include:

   • The verbal domain

     • The syntax & semantics of (periphrastic) causatives

     • Argument interpretation contextualized by syntactically-oriented event structure

     • The syntax & semantics of implicit arguments and impersonal pronouns

   • The adjectival domain

     • The semantics of adjective classifiers as an understudied type of classifier, and their properties in parallel with nominal/numeral & verbal classifiers

     • The semantic variation of vague gradable adjectives contextualized by (morpho)syntax

2. A cognitive science–oriented interdisciplinary approach to theoretical linguistics (while I received some training in neuroscience experiments during graduate school, I am more drawn to theoretical models than to empirical experimental work; moreover, given my background in formal semantics, my interests incline toward philosophy). Topics include:

   • The comparison between Modal Semantics and Causal Models in explaining the complexity of causation encoded in natural languages

   • The elusive nature of agency encoded in natural languages & the properties of agentive diagnostics

   • Bridging the theoretical vs. experimental divide in the cognitive science study of language 

   • The combination of the Categorial Approach and Probability Theory in linguistic studies

3. The (mis)matching between (morpho)syntactic domain/phrase/phase and phonological/prosodic/tone sandhi domain

   • Note: This project stems from my long-standing interest developed in my QP1 work on Teochew tone sandhi patterns. Although I haven’t had much time to pursue it recently, I’m always happy to discuss the topic and would be glad to restart the project when my schedule allows.

See Books & Papers and Presentations for research output

• My research primarily examines Asian languages, including Teochew (an understudied variety of Southern Min often described as a “living fossil of ancient Chinese”), Cantonese, Mandarin, and Thai. I also value insights gained through cross-linguistic comparisons with languages from other families.  

• After joining BFSU as a faculty member (ranked #18 in Linguistics in the 2025 QS rankings), I learned that the university offers instruction in 101 languages, which, to my knowledge, is the highest number worldwide. In response to this exceptional linguistic resource, I have started developing an interest in typological linguistics to better engage with this resource and my formal linguistics background.

1. PI; 2025 Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities: Workshop on the Syntax-Semantics Interface:  A Formal Linguistics Perspective [中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金资助项目《形式句法-语义界面工作坊》] (Grant number: 2025LT014).

2. PI; 2025 Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities: The Formal Semantic Analysis of Cross-Linguistic Causative Constructions [中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金资助项目《汉外对比视角下致使结构的形式语义学研究》] (Grant number: 2025ZZ027).

3. Member; 2024 Social Science Grant of the Ministry of Education, China:  The Comparative Study between Human Brain and Large Language Model on Syntactic Processing [教育部哲学社会科学研究后期资助项目《人脑与大语言模型句法加工的比较研究》] (Grant Number: 24JHQ046); PI: Fuzhen Si.

4. Member; 2023 Insight Development Grant of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: The Grammar of Standards in Southern Min: Implications for the Role of Syntax in Contextual Vagueness Resolution (Grant Number: 430-2023-00704). PI: Alison Biggs.

5. PI; 2023 GSAS-GradGov Research Project Grant for Ph.D. dissertation project Causality, Modality and Contextual Argument Interpretation, Georgetown University, U.S.

6. PI; 2023 GradGov Professional Development Grant for Ph.D. dissertation project Causality, Modality and Contextual Argument Interpretation, Georgetown University, U.S.