2023 Fall

Registration: https://forms.gle/CJBe4vXvWgnGQWZR9 

Oct. 6 (Fri) 12:10pm (UTC+8)

Dr. Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

                     "Vowel system or vowel systems? Sociophonetic variation in the monophthongs of Manila Lánnang-uè (Philippine Hybrid Hokkien)" (online talk)

Abstract: Lánnang-uè, also known as Philippine (Hybrid) Hokkien, is a contact language employed by the Lannang community. The variety used in metropolitan Manila (henceforth, Lánnang-uè) primarily comprises elements from Hokkien, Tagalog/Filipino, and English. In this presentation, I will delve into the intricacies of Lánnang-uè, investigating it as a mixed language, and examine the linguistic and social factors that contribute to the variation within its monophthongs. (For a full description of the talk, please see here.)

Nov. 9 (Thu) 12:10pm (UTC+8)

Dr. Jasper Sim (National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

  "Early phonological acquisition in multi-accent contexts"

Abstract: Many children acquire the sound systems of their languages in multi-accent environments, yet the phonetic and phonological variability in their input and the effects of input variability on phonological development have rarely been the focus of child acquisition studies. In this talk, I focus on the acquisition of English oral stops and English and Malay laterals in preschoolers in multicultural Singapore. I first describe how the properties of the input may vary within and between early bilingual caregivers, sometimes in socially meaningful ways. I then show how differential production in the preschoolers reflects the variation in their caregivers’ input, and how their production can be modulated by their language experience with significant others in the wider community. I conclude with some recommendations for researching early phonological acquisition in similarly diverse contexts. 

Dec. 6 (Wed) 12:10pm (UTC+8)

Dr. Keith Leung (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)

"The relationship of perception and production as revealed by critical perceptual cues"

Abstract: The link between perception and production is predicted to be close, but empirical findings on this relationship are mixed. While a perception-production relationship has been found for various speech sounds, some research has failed to support such a link. To explain this apparent contradiction, a proposed view is that a perception-production relationship should be established through the use of critical perceptual cues. This research aims to examine this view by using Mandarin tones as a test case, since the perceptual cues for Mandarin tones consist of a perceptually critical pitch direction cue and a non-critical pitch height cue.