NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in China

Callier Patrick R, Takoma Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Patrick Callier of Georgetown University to conduct a research project, entitled "What perceptions do listeners form from the way others speak?" during the summer of 2012 at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China. The host scientist is Professor Diao Yanbin. The Intellectual Merit of the research project is to explore how users of language unconsciously construct a picture of the people around them as they hear others speak. This project examines how hearing someone speak with a creaky-sounding voice impacts the impressions of the speaker formed by native listeners of Mandarin Chinese and asks whether these impressions are affected by other aspects of the linguistic context, such as where in a sentence the creaky voice appears. Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.