Embedded Files
Language Science Fair
On Saturday, May 10th, 2025 the Language Science Station hosted a Language Science Fair at Planet Word from 10am to 2pm. Explore our event page to get a feel for the event!
Photo courtesy of Planet Word Museum
Come to Planet Word for a day of fun activities, public talks, puzzles, crafts, and prizes, all in celebration of the science of language! You, your family, and friends can explore a wide range of activities, set up throughout the museum.
The event is being held in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the National Science Foundation as part of the nationwide STEM Day events!
See the Language Science Fair event program here.
Be sure to catch our exciting lineup of public talks in the auditorium, covering a variety of engaging topics. Have fun, learn about how language works, and meet scientists who study language. The event is free and open to all ages, with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters available.
The Language Science Fair has something for everyone! Scroll down for our schedule of public talks, and descriptions of all the activities you'll find at the Fair.
Reserve your tickets below! (The event has passed; tickets are no longer available.)
Public Talk Schedule
Join us in the Friedman Family Auditorium on the 1st floor for 10-15 minute talks from local experts. Talks will be ASL interpreted.
10:15 am
10:15 am
When Code-Switching Isn’t “Switching” at All
Dr. Sarah Phillips • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology • Georgetown University
When Code-Switching Isn’t “Switching” at All
Dr. Sarah Phillips • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology • Georgetown University
This talk explores the neuroscience behind code-switching, or when bilinguals switch languages mid-conversation. It highlights new research about how code-switching works socially and linguistically. By sharing how neuroscience challenges assumptions about code-switching, this talk discusses what this could mean for bilinguals worldwide.
10:45 am
10:45 am
How to (Still) Stump Computers in a Trivia Competition
Dr. Jordan Boyd-Graber • Professor of Computer Science, Language Science, Institute for Advanced Computing Studies, Information Studies • University of Maryland
How to (Still) Stump Computers in a Trivia Competition
Dr. Jordan Boyd-Graber • Professor of Computer Science, Language Science, Institute for Advanced Computing Studies, Information Studies • University of Maryland
You might think ChatGPT has all the answers, but really it struggles with movie plots, art descriptions, and gets easily distracted! This talk will explore what questions challenge computers and why. After the talk, you can test your skills against a trivia-playing robot!
11:15 am
11:15 am
How does the brain learn language?
Dr. Rachel Romeo • Assistant Professor, College of Education • University of Maryland
How does the brain learn language?
Dr. Rachel Romeo • Assistant Professor, College of Education • University of Maryland
Why do babies seem to soak up language like a sponge, but adults struggle to learn new languages? How do we learn that written symbols on a page stand for words and phrases? We can find some answers in the brain! This talk explores how we use neuroimaging methods to look “under the hood” at how we learn to understand language, to talk, and to read.
11:45 am
11:45 am
Catching Accents: How We Learn & Use New Dialect Features
Dr. Jennifer Nycz • Associate Professor of Linguistics • Georgetown University
Catching Accents: How We Learn & Use New Dialect Features
Dr. Jennifer Nycz • Associate Professor of Linguistics • Georgetown University
Ever notice your accent change? Or a friend who sounds different after moving or hanging out with new friends? They’re not faking it–we sometimes change how we speak without even trying. This talk explores the ability to catch new accents–starting from when we are tiny babies learning our first dialect–and what this tells us about language and the mind.
12:15 pm
12:15 pm
Top 3 Ways to Tell Your LLM is NOT a Human Child
Katherine Howitt • Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Linguistics • University of Maryland
Top 3 Ways to Tell Your LLM is NOT a Human Child
Katherine Howitt • Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Linguistics • University of Maryland
This talk will discuss recent advances in computing technology that underlie large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and why those advances are not a substitute for studying language development and the human mind.
12:45 pm
12:45 pm
Myths and Realities About African American Language
Dr. Shenika Hankerson • Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education • University of Maryland
Myths and Realities About African American Language
Dr. Shenika Hankerson • Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education • University of Maryland
This interactive talk will challenge some common misconceptions about African American Language (AAL) and highlight its linguistic realities and cultural significance. Through a “Fact or Fiction” game, visitors will explore what makes AAL a legitimate language and why it should not be considered “broken English.”
1:15 pm
1:15 pm
What Do Dogs Understand About Language?
Dr. Rochelle Newman • Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences • University of Maryland
What Do Dogs Understand About Language?
Dr. Rochelle Newman • Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences • University of Maryland
How well do dogs understand what we say? This talk will showcase recent findings about how much our canine companions understand about humans' language and actions.
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
Changing by Nature: How All Languages Evolve
Dr. Deanna Gagne • Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics • Gallaudet University
Changing by Nature: How All Languages Evolve
Dr. Deanna Gagne • Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics • Gallaudet University
Drawing on examples from English, American Sign Language (ASL), and protactile (a new tactile language emerging within the American DeafBlind community), this talk shows how language reflects the lives of its users and adapts to new contexts. Through these examples, the talk offers a window into the creative and ever-changing nature of human communication.
Activities
Special activities
Linguistics Puzzle Room Work alone or with a team to solve a series of linguistics puzzles! See how many you can complete! (Classroom B, 2nd floor)
Raffle Prizes include books & movies about language, Planet Word swag, and more! Drawings on the hour. Must be present to win! (4th floor)
Cotton candy, coloring book station, & balloon animals (4th floor)
Explore the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of Planet Word to find over 20 interactive activities from local language scientists from six universities...
4th floor
Build-a-Word: A Virtual Reality Arctic Expedition
Build-a-Word: A Virtual Reality Arctic Expedition
University of Maryland Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Step into a frosty VR world where kids build words with ice-block letters and adults explore the science of fun, tech-based reading education!
The Conversation Game
The Conversation Game
Language Science Station study, Howard University Psychology
Contribute to science! In this real research study, read the first part of text messages and give your best guess about how they'll end.
Does the Sign Make Sense?
Does the Sign Make Sense?
Gallaudet University Linguistics & Department of American Sign Language
Contribute to science! In this real research study, you'll give your reactions to some signs from sign languages from around the world.
Fill-In-The-Blank Listening Challenge
Fill-In-The-Blank Listening Challenge
Georgetown University Linguistics
How do we hear words in a noisy world? Come learn how your brain fills in missing sounds!
Look Who’s Talking!
Look Who’s Talking!
University of Maryland Linguistics
Explore what infants know about language, especially about giving and telling information, and how we learn.
Human-A.I. Trivia
Human-A.I. Trivia
University of Maryland Computer Science
Try your hand competing in a trivia game with a robot.
Make Your Own Sound Buttons
Make Your Own Sound Buttons
University of Maryland
Make your own button to take home with your favorite example of sound symbolism
Other Ways of Talking: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Other Ways of Talking: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
University of Maryland School of Information
Learn about AAC devices that help people communicate, and see examples of some of the first AAC devices, developed before modern technology.
Say What? Mapping Words Across the World
Say What? Mapping Words Across the World
Georgetown University Department of Spanish & Portuguese
What do the words you use say about where you're from? Explore dialect variation in words in English and Spanish.
What's in a Name
What's in a Name
University of Maryland Psychology
Learn about how words are organized in your brain by naming a series of pictures really fast.
3rd floor
Frame the Planet (Word)
Frame the Planet (Word)
Language Science Station study, Georgetown University Linguistics, Association of Science and Technology Centers
Contribute to science! In this real research study, you can talk about a current event and learn how we respond to language usage.
Guess the Story & In Your Hands
Guess the Story & In Your Hands
Language Science Station study, Gallaudet University Linguistics
Contribute to science! In this real research study, learn signs in American Sign Language (ASL) and tell us what you think about how easy or hard it may be to learn ASL. And, chat with our team about our project engaging diverse deaf engagement in the cognitive sciences.
Looking Forward to It!
Looking Forward to It!
George Mason University Linguistics
What do your eyes have to do with studying how language works? Learn about how our minds make sense of sentences and even guess what’s next, and how researchers use our eyes to find out more.
Morphology Bracelets: Stringing Words Together
Morphology Bracelets: Stringing Words Together
University of Maryland
Make a word bracelet with letter beads and learn about how words are formed across different languages
Word Island
Word Island
Language Science Station study, University of Maryland Language Science Center
Contribute to science! In this real research study, you can play a team-based, adventure-themed game with old and new friends to see how we use language.
2nd floor
Light Up Your Language Brain
Light Up Your Language Brain
Language Science Station study, University of Maryland Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Wear an fNIRS device to see your brain light up as you listen to speech, plus make a brain headband.
What Does Dyslexia Feel Like?
What Does Dyslexia Feel Like?
George Washington University Education & Human Development
Experience what it’s like to have dyslexia through interactive activities, hear personal testimonials, and learn more about the science of reading and literacy.
What Does Your Voice Look Like?
What Does Your Voice Look Like?
University of Maryland Linguistics
See your speech and take home a picture of what it looks like when you speak your own name.
Writing Chinese Characters through the Chinese Zodiac
Writing Chinese Characters through the Chinese Zodiac
University of Maryland Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Practice writing Chinese characters of animals in the Chinese zodiac while learning about logographic writing systems
The Fair is being held to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the National Science Foundation. The Language Science Station is proud to join organizations across the country in hosting STEM Day events that honor STEM and STEM education, and NSF's contributions to science, on this special day.
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