Nov 5, TBA, Anne Cutler (Western Sydney)
Nov 12, Friday 9:30 am, Jianjing Kuang (UPenn)
Nov 19, Friday 9:30 am, Lisa Davidson (NYU)
Speaker: Dr. Kathleen Hall (UBC)
Time: Oct 15, Friday 12:10 pm – 1:10 pm
Title: Testing “Message-Oriented” Phonology in the Signed Modality
Abstract: In this talk, I will explain the general principles of “Message-Oriented” phonology (MOP), in which language is situated as part of a communication system, and phonology arises at least in part due to pressures to communicate meaningful units both accurately and cost-effectively. I will consider the various predictions such an approach makes for phonological structures, and then show how those predictions can be usefully tested by comparing spoken to signed languages. In the course of that discussion, I will introduce some of the specific tools we have been developing at UBC to help facilitate such testing.