I am interested in how different types of variability impact language learning. My research aims to address questions such as: How does hearing words from different speakers impact learning of those words? How does a child learning two languages know that they are hearing multiple languages?
Surface variability: Learners receive input from a variety of sources, who often vary in the way they produce individual sounds as a result of individual differences in vocal characteristics, for example. In my research, I ask what the impact of this type of variability is on language learning and long-term representations.
Structural variability: Bilingual learners are faced with the task of learning multiple sets of underlying regularities. First, though, they must come to realize that multiple underlying regularities exist, and form separate representations for each language in their environment. How do learners across the lifespan contend with variability resulting from multiple languages in the environment and begin to form and maintain separate representations?
The interaction between surface and structural variability: Sometimes, learners can use surface-level cues to inform their representations at the structural level. When surface variability aligns with structural variability, such as separate individuals speaking separate languages, the learner may be able to track speaker-specific information to form separate representations of each language. However, the majority of the time, surface and structural variability are not perfectly correlated. How does surface variability impact learner's ability to form multiple underlying representations?
Open Science: I am committed to replicability, data transparency, and accessibility. Please see my OSF and Gitbook for preregistrations and fully reproducible analyses and manuscripts. When possible, preprints are linked next to Publications.
Surface variability: Learners receive input from a variety of sources, who often vary in the way they produce individual sounds as a result of individual differences in vocal characteristics, for example. In my research, I ask what the impact of this type of variability is on language learning and long-term representations.
Structural variability: Bilingual learners are faced with the task of learning multiple sets of underlying regularities. First, though, they must come to realize that multiple underlying regularities exist, and form separate representations for each language in their environment. How do learners across the lifespan contend with variability resulting from multiple languages in the environment and begin to form and maintain separate representations?
The interaction between surface and structural variability: Sometimes, learners can use surface-level cues to inform their representations at the structural level. When surface variability aligns with structural variability, such as separate individuals speaking separate languages, the learner may be able to track speaker-specific information to form separate representations of each language. However, the majority of the time, surface and structural variability are not perfectly correlated. How does surface variability impact learner's ability to form multiple underlying representations?
Open Science: I am committed to replicability, data transparency, and accessibility. Please see my OSF and Gitbook for preregistrations and fully reproducible analyses and manuscripts. When possible, preprints are linked next to Publications.