LSLT: Erika Exton (HESP)

Identifying a code-switch: exploring methods for studying the use of prosodic and phonetic cues

Abstract: Infants are able to distinguish between passages of two different languages using rhythm and timing cues. However, less is known about how much information they need in order to make this distinction, which is particularly relevant when we consider the case of code-switching, when speakers may switch between languages mid-sentence or after only a few words. Infants growing up with bilingual parents are regularly exposed to code-switching and have been shown to differentiate between their two languages by the second year of life, but we don't yet know the speech perception mechanism that allows them to do this. In this talk, I will present data from a few preliminary studies that aim to start addressing this question, and hope to get feedback regarding the most efficient and informative ways to move forward with this line of research.