Study multilingual phonology at the University of Utah

Researchers in the Speech Acquisition Lab in the University of Utah’s Department of Linguistics, which is co-directed by Professors Rachel Hayes-Harb and Shannon Barrios, use experimental methods to examine how adult learners acquire the sounds system of a new language. We study learner’s use of information available in their input (the distribution of speech sounds, written input, etc.), as well as the way that prior language experience shapes learning. Our hypotheses are informed both by phonological theory and by observations from language teachers and learners. In this way, we contribute to the ‘basic’ and ‘applied’ scientific study of phonological acquisition.

The University of Utah is also home to speech researchers in other departments, including Communication Sciences and Disorders (Sarah Hargus-Ferguson) and World Languages & Cultures (Tanya Flores).