New research shows deaf people are quicker at recognizing and interpreting body language than hearing non-signers. This ability may be due to the daily use of sign language, which enhances their visual system's processing capabilities.
Concordia University professors have been awarded Canada Research Chairs for their work in linguistics, gaming, and cancer research. The funding will support the acquisition of new equipment and infrastructure for seven years.
Researchers have developed an algorithm that recognizes linguistic cues to divide texts into probable author groupings, sidestepping methodological hurdles in Bible scholarship. The software was able to separate passages from two Hebrew books with 99 percent accuracy and distinguish between 'priestly' and 'non-priestly' materials.
Research reveals individuals with dyslexia struggle to recognize voices speaking their native language due to phonological impairment. The study's findings suggest that the underlying deficit in dyslexia is linked to difficulty processing spoken language sounds, not reading per se.
A groundbreaking JHU study reveals that human brains are wired to recognize unlikely word orders in languages, confirming a long-held theory by Noam Chomsky. The research shows that learners' inherent biases influence what they will learn, and that knowledge of certain grammatical rules is hardwired into the brain from birth.
A recent study by Penn State researchers found that sign language users can process both English words and American Sign Language (ASL) signs concurrently. When word pairs were matched with similar signs, reaction times were faster and accuracy rates improved compared to control group bilingual speakers.
Research from North Carolina State University found that African-American children's language use fluctuates as they adopt and abandon vernacular English patterns. The study, tracking 88 children since 1990, reveals a cyclic pattern in the use of African-American vernacular English.
A new research project investigates the evolution of public interest in climate change from 1992 to 2010, examining communication strategies, public figures, and cultural dimensions. The study will uncover patterns and reveal changes in social dynamics, accelerated by the internet's impact.
The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) has received the LSA's 2011 Linguistics, Language and the Public Award for its impact on public awareness of linguistics. The competition, founded in 2006, identifies high school students with linguistic talent and acquaints them with computational linguistics.
Dr. Michael Wagner's research explores the use of identical rhymes in poetry to understand how languages use emphasis and prosody. The study reveals a systematic difference between French and English speakers' evaluation of poetry, which can help improve computer programmers' production of realistic speech.
A five-year, $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant supports a bilingual thinking and learning study at Penn State's Center for Language Science. The project aims to greatly expand the existing body of knowledge on the neural and cognitive processes involved in second language learning and bilingualism.
A study combining genetic, archaeological, and linguistic data reveals that genetic variation in Africa is structured geographically and linguistically. The research provides a clearer picture of the continent's history and highlights the importance of independent lines of evidence in interpreting genetic and genomic data.
Lieberman-Aiden's innovations include the 'Hi-C' method for three-dimensional genome sequencing, enabling new understanding of cell state, genetic regulation and disease. He also developed iShoe technology to diagnose balance disorders in the elderly, showcasing his groundbreaking work across genomics, linguistics and more.
Thierry Coquand, a professor at the University of Gothenburg, has received an ERC Advanced Grant of 1.9 million euros for his research on foundation of mathematics. His work builds upon the concepts developed by Bertrand Russell and Alan Turing over a century ago.
The LSU research team aims to identify clinical markers of children with Specific Language Impairment in non-traditional dialects, such as African American English and Southern White English. They hope to develop tools that can be used in Louisiana classrooms to assist speech language pathologists and educators.
A University of British Columbia study found that air puffs directed at the skin can bias perception of spoken syllables, causing mishearing. The researchers suggest that tactile information plays a significant role in speech perception, similar to how our brain processes visual cues.
Researchers found that French infants produce rising crying tones and German babies cry with falling intonation, suggesting early exposure to language-specific intonation patterns. This study suggests that the sense of hearing develops before other senses and influences a child's ability to learn their mother tongue.
The world's top experts in endangered languages are converging at the University of Utah to create a comprehensive online database. The gathering aims to preserve 7,000 languages that are at risk of extinction, with nearly 90% predicted to disappear in the next 100 years.
A new speech-to-speech translation system aims to improve communication between healthcare providers and patients who speak different languages. The system, developed by USC researchers, will use prosodic information, discourse cues, and user state information to enhance human communication capabilities.
Research reveals that dynamic semantic network of human language is small-world and scale-free but differs from syntactic network in hierarchical structure and node degree correlation. This discovery sheds light on the organization of human semantic knowledge and cognition.
A study by Professor Brigitte Nerlich's team found that the way people communicate about a threat largely determines how they understand it and behave towards it. The research focused on MRSA, avian flu, and compared media coverage with hospital matrons' language.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is establishing 14 new Research Training Groups to promote young researchers in Germany. These groups will focus on innovative areas such as fluorine chemistry, institutional transition in East Asia, and frequency effects in linguistics. The funding recipients will work closely with foreign uni...
Complementary schools enhance minority ethnic children's development by learning their community language outside the home. Bilingualism is associated with contemporary, cosmopolitan identities and social networks.
The Computation Institute has received a $1.5 million grant to develop the Petascale Active Data Store (PADS), enabling researchers to analyze massive datasets in new ways. The system will provide rich data for computer science research and enable collaborations across disciplines.
Researchers analyzed ancient magic tricks to gain insights into human psychology, revealing the power of misdirection and illusion in shaping our perceptions. The study's findings have long-term implications for fields like human-computer interfaces, where understanding attention and perception is crucial.
The La Mente Bilingüe research team, led by Dr. Itziar Laka, investigates language acquisition and processing in bilingual brains. They use experimental methodologies to understand how languages are organized and processed, including analyzing word order and syntax, and exploring the effect of age on phonology, vocabulary, and grammar.
Studies reveal that word order affects language production, with French speakers using a different syntax than English speakers. Additionally, researchers find commonalities in naming patterns for locomotion across languages, suggesting universal rules and constraints.
A team of linguists, led by Professor Michael Krauss, will document 11 endangered languages in Alaska using a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The project aims to preserve the Atuuan dialect, Southern Tsimshian, and other critically endangered languages.
Researchers have speculated that the Foxp2 gene is linked to language ability, but MIT's Robert Berwick argues this connection is unlikely due to complexity and speculative chain of events. Language is likely the result of a subtle interplay among various factors, making direct genetic connections impossible.
Researchers found that early brain activity is shaped by language experience and plays a crucial role in speech perception. The study reveals that melody of speech engages multiple brain areas, including both hemispheres, and interacts with general sensory-motor processes.
Studies found that music and language rely on common processes in the mind, including two memory systems: one for rules and syntax, and another for memorized melodies. The discovery opens new avenues of research into the relationship between language and music.
A study found that children with Tourette's syndrome are quicker at processing certain mental grammar skills, including rule-governed language tasks. They showed superior performance compared to typically developing children in producing grammatically correct past tense forms.
A team led by Sally Johnson and Clive Upton assesses the BBC Voices project's 700 hours of sound recordings, showcasing diverse regional accents and vocabularies. The study explores how language relates to issues like gender, ethnicity, and media representation.
A linguistics expert predicts that nearly all human languages could be extinct in two centuries if not conserved. The loss of languages would also compromise humanity's adaptability and diversity, making it harder to survive.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has received a $1.3 million federal grant to create a graduate-level training program in second-language acquisition, focusing on the Yupik language. The program aims to provide K-12 teachers with tools to increase fluency and address second-language issues in the classroom.
Researchers found that girls use a system for memorizing words and associations, while boys rely on rule-governed language systems. The study supports the notion that men and women may process skills differently, with estrogen affecting brain processing.
The Aymara language locates the past ahead and the future behind, defying the conventional spatial metaphor for chronology. The study's findings suggest that cognition of everyday abstractions like time is partly a cultural phenomenon.
The study reveals that during periods of warm weather globally, the Pacific was cold and dry. Conversely, during cold weather elsewhere, the Pacific experienced warm and stormy conditions. This ancient climate data informs modern concerns about climate change in the Pacific region.
Researchers at Ohio State University have created a vast repository of casual conversations, labeling every syllable and sound. The Buckeye Speech Corpus offers a unique resource for scientists studying communication, speech sciences, linguistics, and more.
A computer scientist has developed a system to analyze proposed drug names and rank them in terms of confusability, using techniques from linguistics and bioinformatics. The system, created in collaboration with the FDA, can identify sound-alike and look-alike drug names with great accuracy, reducing the risk of prescription errors.
A new study compares handedness of medieval English villagers to modern-day sample, finding that active individuals display a high degree of asymmetry. Researchers used skeletal analysis to determine changes in hand preference over time, shedding light on the evolution of right- and left-handedness.
A new study examines the role of the 'showoff hypothesis' in social decisions among Hadza hunter-gatherers. Most participants chose to live with good hunters to gain access to more food and better nutrients, despite some men preferring poorer hunters to showcase their hunting prowess.
A study at Rice University found that brain activity differs between merged and unmerged dialect groups when hearing similar sounds. This suggests that the merged-dialect group processes the words differently, relying on explicit memory for previous visual stimuli.
Researchers found that deaf Nicaraguan boys developed complex grammatical components and used them in the same way as highly evolved languages. This suggests that the concept of 'subject' is an innate tendency in humans, existing before linguistic input or exposure to other language speakers.
Researchers found that language affects perception in the right half of the visual field, but not in the left. The study suggests that linguistic differences can sharpen visual distinctions in the right visual field.
Blair Rudes, a UNC Charlotte linguist, uses historical linguistics to revive the Virginia Algonquian language spoken by Native Americans in Jamestown. He reconstructs over 1,000 words and syntax to give the film authenticity.
A new study challenges prior models of behavioral and cognitive differences between Neanderthals and modern humans. Researchers suggest that the establishment of larger social networks allowed for more extensive division of labor and routine use of distant resources, potentially driving the replacement of Neanderthals in the Caucasus.
Researchers Bocquet-Appel and Naji found a sudden 20-30% increase in birth rates worldwide during the Neolithic period, as indicated by an abrupt change in skeletal evidence. This finding corroborates a global demographic transition, with archaeological evidence showing parallels between Europe, North Africa, and the Americas.
Researchers suggest that modern human expansion in South Asia was a complex process, with evidence indicating diversity of behavioral responses and competition driving the demise of indigenous archaic hominids. The study challenges the idea of a sudden 'revolution' in modern human behavior 50,000 years ago.
A genetic analysis by Francisco Salzano and colleagues supports Rodrigues' suggestion of a close connection between Carib and Tupi, while Je and Maipure show more distant relationships. The study provides new insights into the complex history of South American Native languages.
A new study examines how publicly funded organizations used information and communications technologies to shape regional identities and overcome social, economic, and political problems. The research reveals the widespread adoption of ICTs in 'place-making' projects across Europe.
A recent archaeological comparison of genetic traits indicates that Moche sacrificial victims were not local elite, but rather warriors captured from nearby valleys. This finding suggests territorial conflict and competition among Moche populations in each valley.
A study by Dr. Johanne Paradis found that immigrant children's English skills are comparable to those of monolingual children with speech language impairment, leading to potential misdiagnosis and unnecessary referrals to therapy services. This phenomenon is a concern for many countries, including Canada, the US, UK, and Australia.
The discovery confirms a long-term association between people and livestock in southern Africa, challenging the view that the Kalahari was isolated. The findings provide insights into the spread of domestic livestock throughout Africa, highlighting the role of diseases such as tripanosomiasis in delaying their introduction.
Researchers Jane Schneider and Peter Schneider uncover a diverse Sicily, where the mafia and antimafia have distinct values and practices. The study reveals Sicilians' ability to organize democratically for community goals, challenging established views on their culture.
A study by Professor Sali Tagliamonte found that female adolescents tend to use words like, just, and so more frequently in their conversations as they get older. This language change occurs earlier than in males, with 15- and 16-year-old females using the word 'like' most frequently.
A multidisciplinary team at USC Viterbi School created a two-way voice translation system that turns doctor's English questions into Persian and vice versa. The Transonics Spoken Dialog Translator uses a combination of human observation, computer code, and machine learning to achieve fluent communication.
Biblical scholarship must move beyond 'reverential antiquarianism' to make meaningful connections with modern society. Professor Bradley McLean argues that classical and biblical studies are using outdated approaches, resulting in limited funding and public interest.
Researchers found that adults can improve their recognition of speech sounds in foreign languages through training. The study showed a significant improvement in recognition accuracy after a 10-session training course.
A new dictionary has been published to support the teaching of the Native American language Nuuchahnulth, with only two hundred people able to speak it. The language, spoken along the coast of Vancouver Island, has a complex sound structure and is considered one of the most morphologically complex languages.