My name is Raji, and I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate under Dr. Catherine Laing, in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York. In Dr. Laing's UKRI funded project, SENFM, we investigate the role of sensorimotor feedback as a mechanism of learning, particularly in early infancy and childhood. Particularly, we will examine the interaction between an infant's vocal development in their first year and their initial language environment. The aim is to understand how these interactions contribute to the acquisition and development of speech sounds, and ultimately, an infant's first words. We will implement both home-recorded naturalistic methodologies as well as lab-based studies, along with ultrasound imaging of the tongue, to investigate how infants draw from sensorimotor feedback to drive their language learning.

I recently completed my PhD at the University of Göttingen, Germany, under Prof. Dr. Nivedita Mani. During my PhD, which I defended on 26 August 2024, I investigated parent-child dynamics in social interactions, and how they influence early language learning. Particularly, examined how parental input and children's selective interests in various topics influence features of caregiver-child interactions, and subsequently, novel word learning from these interactions. I used various eye-tracking and behavioural measures, in different lab-based and naturalistic settings. 

My research focus is on the development of young children's language development, exploring how their caregiver's input and caregiver-child interactions influence this process. Particularly, examining how natural social interactions impact and influence would help us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of language learning.