Research
Research
Code switching is a common phenomenon in bilingual communication, and researchers from many different fields are all contributing to figure out the motivation behind it. We are curious specifically about code switches that happens within a sentence: why do do switches happen at certain word(s) but not others? We investigate the role of word meaning
[2024 SCiL proceeding] and the predictability (upcoming) through corpus analyses and experiments.
Word length of many languages is found to be proportional to the amount of information it contains (Piantadosi et al. 2011, Pimentel et al. 2023). Specifically for English, language users are found to use the shorter form of a concept (e.g. fridge vs. refrigerator) when the meaning is made more predictable given context (Mahowald et al. 2013). What about in Chinese? This project is an attempt to answer this question through a corpus analysis.
There are two potential interpretations for the utterance every show wasn't captivating: 1) no show was captivating, and 2) not every show was captivating. Building on previous studies regarding how comprehenders resolve such ambiguity (Attali 2024), we ask how contexts influence the production side. We aim to examine both language models as well as human as language producers, as well as the alignment of the two.
Cantonese has a set of sibilants varying between alveolars [ts,tsʰ,s] and palato-alveolars [tʃ,tʃʰ,ʃ]/[tɕ,tɕʰ,ɕ] depending on phonological contexts, and it is believed that a sound change is ongoing (Cheung, 2002, Yeung & Havenhill, 2021). What are the phonological and social contexts that favor such sibilant palatalization? We are the first to examine this sound change by comparing two different speech communities, the homeland speakers in Hong Kong, and the first and second generation heritage speakers in Toronto. All data comes from the HLVC corpus developed by Dr. Naomi Nagy and her team.
[2024 LabPhon poster] [2024 updates on LingBuzz]
Generics are statements like dogs bark and ducks lay eggs. It seems that the criteria we use to decide whether to endorse a generics is quite flexible - maybe 90% of the dogs need to bark in order for us to accept dogs bark, but for ducks, the statement is highly endorsed despite the fact that less than 50% of all ducks lay eggs (only females do). What is causing the difference? Also, can generics be context-restricted? This NSF funded project led by Dr. Katherine Ritchie & Dr. Ny Vasil aims to look into the above questions that help us better understand generics.
Check out this video by Dr. Ny Vasil if you are interested to learn more about what we are doing!
2025
Torres, C. J., Xu, W., Li, Y., & Futrell, R. (2025). Creolization versus code-switching: An agent-based cognitive model for bilingual strategies in language contact. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Cognitive Modeling and Computational Linguistics (pp. 207-218). [proceeding]
2024
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. (2024). On the communicative utility of code-switching. In Proceedings of the Society for Computation in Linguistics: Vol. 7, 343-349. [proceeding]
2023
Bao, Y. & Li, Y. (2023). Developing and Implementing Proficiency-Oriented Performance Assessments at the Beginning Level. In Proceedings of the 34th North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL-34). [proceeding]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. (2023). Chinese words shorten in more predictive contexts. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 45(45), 1286-1291. [proceeding]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. (2023). Evidence for efficiency in Chinese abbreviations. In Proceedings of the Society for Computation in Linguistics: Vol. 6, 383-384. [proceeding]
2022
Ji, J., Li, Y. & Hsu, Y. (2022). DEI in Chinese heritage language education – using the AAPI Unit as an example. Studies in Chinese Learning and Teaching, 7, 18-31. [article]
2021
Hu, H., Zhou, H., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Ma, Y., Li, Y., Nie, Y. & Richardson, K. (2021). Investigating transfer learning in multilingual pre-trained language models through Chinese natural language inference. In Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: ACL-IJCNLP 2021. 3770–3781. [proceeding]
2020
Hu, H., Li, Y., Patterson, Y., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhou, H., Kübler, S. & Lin, C. C. (2020). Building a literary treebank for translation studies in Chinese. In Proceedings of 19th International Workshop on Treebanks and Linguistic Theories (TLT). 18–31. [proceeding]
Xu, L., Hu, H., Zhang, X., Li, L., Cao, C., Li, Y., Xu, Y., Sun, K., Yu, D, Yu, C., Tian, Y., Dong, Q., Liu, W., Shi, B., Cui, Y., Li, J., Zeng, J., Wang, R., Xie, W., Li, Y., Patterson, Y., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhou, He., Liu, S., Zhao, Z., Zhao, Q., Yue, C., Zhang, X., Yang, Z., Richardson, K. & Lan, Z. (2020). CLUE: A Chinese language understanding evaluation benchmark. In Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING). 4762–4772. [proceeding]
Language science related
Li, Y., Dong, X., Yip, KF & Yang, G. J. Acoustic analysis of sibilant palatalization variation in homeland and heritage Cantonese. New Ways of Analysing Variation Asia Pacific 8, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Aug 2025. [slides]
Li, Y.. Why did the switch happen here? Looking into factors behind code-switches within a sentence. UC Irvine Language Science Community Talk, UC Irvine, California. May 2025.
Torres, C. J., Xu, W., Li, Y., & Futrell, R. Creolization versus code-switching: An agent-based cognitive model for bilingual strategies in language contact. Workshop on Cognitive Modeling and Computational Linguistics, Albuquerque, New Mexico. May 2025. [proceeding]
Li, Y.. Language models (LMs) prefer the ambiguous every-negation following informative contexts. Generics in Context Workshop, UC Irvine, California. Apr 2025.
Li, Y., Li, J., Upadhye, S., Attali, N. & Scontras, G. Language models (LMs) prefer ambiguous utterances following informative contexts. 2024 California Meeting on Psycholinguistics (CAMP7), UCSD, California. Nov 2024. [abstract] [poster]
Gao, B., Chan, A. & Li, Y. Word Predictability on points of code-switching. 2024 California Meeting on Psycholinguistics (CAMP7), UCSD, California. Nov 2024. [abstract]
Li, Y., Li, J., Upadhye, S., Attali, N. & Scontras, G. Language models (LMs) prefer ambiguous utterances following informative contexts. 2024 California Meeting on Psycholinguistics (CAMP7), UCSD, California. Nov 2024. [abstract][poster]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. On the communicative utility of code-switching. 2024 Society for Computation in Linguistics (SCiL), UC Irvine, California. Jun 2024. [proceeding]
Li, Y., Dong, X., Yip, KF & Yang, G. J. Variation of sibilant palatalization in homeland and heritage Cantonese. The 19th Conference on Laboratory Phonology (LabPhon 19), Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea. June 2024. [abstract] [poster]
Pederneschi, A., Dutta, R., Li, Y., Zhu, T., Curiel, A., Ritchie K. & Vasil, N. Contextually -restricted generalizations about social groups: a solution or a problem? The 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Philosophy & Psychology (SPP), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Jun 2024.
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. Being able to switch is a plus: The benefit of code-switching. Fifteenth Heritage Language Research Institute, UC Irvine, California. Jun 2024.
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. The meaning behind a code-switch. Human Sentence Processing (HSP) Conference 2024, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. May 2024. [abstract] [poster]
Li, Y., Dong, X., Yip, KF & Yang, G. J. Linguistic and Social Aspects of Sibilant Palatalization in Homeland and Heritage Cantonese. The 36th North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL), Pomona College, Claremont, California. Mar 2024. [slides]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. The meaning behind a code-switch. The California Meeting on Psycholinguistics [6], Stanford University, California. Jan 2024. [abstract] [slides]
Li, Y., Dong, X. & Yip, KF. Sibilant palatalization in Hong Kong and Toronto Cantonese: a corpus study. The 27th International Conference on Yue Dialects, OSU, Ohio. Nov 2023. [slides] [video]
Li, Y. & Attali, N. Using corpora for understanding human communication. Workshop on the Role of Loopholes in Communication, Osnabrück, Germany. Sept 2023.
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. Chinese words shorten in more predictive contexts. Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Sydney, Australia. Jul 2023. [proceeding] [poster]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. Evidence for efficiency in Chinese abbreviations. 2023 Linguistic Society of America Institute Poster Session, Amherst, MA. Jul 2023. [poster]
Li, Y., Scontras, G. & Futrell, R. (2023). Evidence for efficiency in Chinese abbreviations. 2023 Society for Computation in Linguistics (SCiL), Amherst, MA. Jun 2023. [proceeding] [poster]
Hu, H., Zhou, H., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Ma, Y., Li, Y., Nie, Y. & Richardson, K. Investigating transfer learning in multilingual pre-trained language models through Chinese natural language inference. The Joint Conference of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and the 11th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing (ACL-IJCNLP 2021), Bangkok, Thailand. Aug 2021. [proceeding]
Li, Y. & Hu, H. Identifying Chinese downward entailment operators (DEOs). 2020 Second Tsinghua Interdisciplinary Workshop on Logic, Language, and Meaning: Monotonicity in Logic and Language, Beijing, China. Dec 2020. [slides]
Xu, L., Hu, H., Zhang, X., Li, L., Cao, C., Li, Y., Xu, Y., Sun, K., Yu, D, Yu, C., Tian, Y., Dong, Q., Liu, W., Shi, B., Cui, Y., Li, J., Zeng, J., Wang, R., Xie, W., Li, Y., Patterson, Y., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhou, He., Liu, S., Zhao, Z., Zhao, Q., Yue, C., Zhang, X., Yang, Z., Richardson, K. & Lan, Z. CLUE: A Chinese language understanding evaluation benchmark. The 28th International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING), Barcelona, Spain. Dec 2020. [proceeding]
Hu, H., Li, Y., Patterson, Ys., Tian, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhou, H., Kübler, S. & Lin, C. C. Building a literary treebank for translation studies in Chinese. 19th International Workshop on Treebanks and Linguistic Theories (TLT), Düsseldorf, Germany. Oct 2020. [proceeding]
Language pedagogy related
Li, Y. A “crowded” heritage class: Using hidden resource to create cultural bond. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Boston, MA. Nov 2022.
Bao, Y. & Li, Y. Developing proficiency-oriented performance-based assessment at the beginning level. The 34th North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL-34), Bloomington, IN. Sept 2022.
Li, Y. Building a dynamic community outside of class using smart tools. 54th Annual Central States Conference on The Teaching of Foreign Languages, via Zoom. Mar 2022. [video]
Li, Y. & Bao, Y. Assessing listening proficiency via video-mediated materials. 54th Annual Central States Conference on The Teaching of Foreign Languages, via Zoom. Mar 2022.
Li, Y. Cracking Chinese tones – Automatic feedback tool to enhance pronunciation. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), San Diego, CA. Nov 2021.
Zhou, K., Li, Y. & Ao, J. Reflection on remote teaching – Third-year Chinese course at Middlebury Summer School. New England Chinese Language Teachers Association 10th Annual Conference, Boston, MA. Oct 2021.
Li, Y. Building learning community from building personal website. TEACHx 2021 at Northwestern, Evanston, IL. May 2021. [video]
Li, Y. Google Jamboard and Google Slides for breakout room activities. Northwestern University Council on Language Instruction Fall Workshop, Evanston, IL. Dec 2020.
Li, Y. Utilizing online learning platform design to facilitate self-study in online language class. New England Chinese Language Teachers Association 9th Annual Conference on Learning and Teaching Chinese Language and Culture, Boston, MA. Oct 2020.
Li, Y. Effective language instruction. 2018 Indiana University Chinese Associate Instructors Training Workshop, Bloomington, IN. Aug 2018.
Li, Y. & Sun, Y. Implementation and reflection of tasks in Chinese L2 classroom. Poster presentation, 2018 International Forum on Chinese Language and Culture, Bloomington, IN. May 2018.
Li, Q., Li, Y. & Sun, Y. A tentative guidance for bridging TBI theory and practice. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Nashville, TN. Nov 2017.