RESEARCH INTERESTS
SPEECH TECHNOLOGY
ARTICULATION
I am interested in articulatory phonetics and using technology, like ultrasound, as a means of visualizing speech. I'm collaborating on a few projects using ultrasound to examine articulation in American English Clear Speech, especially the "r" sound, as well as Arabic emphatic and guttural consonant production.
Speech and language technologies are becoming more accurate and accessible. I'm interested in improving pronunciation training by incorporating acoustic and articulatory biofeedback. Check out the visual acoustic biofeedback site that is currently in development in BITS lab: https://bitslabstart.com/
(SOCIO)PHONETICS/PHONOLOGY
(Socio)phonetics is focused on the sounds of language and the ways they vary depending upon the speaker and the context. This underlies nearly all of my research questions in some way.
LANGUAGE AND COGNITION
My work at the Penn State Center for Language first exposed me to research exploring the connections between language and cognition using medical imaging. I'm interested in the neural underpinning that connect speech perception and speech production.
LANGUAGE VARIATION AND CHANGE
The promotion of linguistic diversity is one of critical importance in today's society. A key aspect of that promotion includes the study of variation that occurs in language and how that variation changes over time. I've been involved in several projects over the years as part of the North Carolina State University Language Diversity Ambassadors and the Language and Life Project. I'm currently working on the Central PA Dialect Project.
ARABIC AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES
As a student of Arabic for over a decade, the languages, cultures, and histories of the Middle East continue to amaze me. I'm especially interested in Arabic-English language contact, and the interplay of language and identity as it relates to (trans)migration in the Middle East. I have an ongoing project exploring Lebanese and Lebanese American identity construction in the US.
Have questions? Drop me a line!
You can also find some of my research here: https://ncsu.academia.edu/AmandaEads