U-M Linguistics was well represented at the 47th conference on New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV 47), which was held at New York University, October 18-21. 

The primary theme for NWAV 47 was Methods and Innovation. Through talks and workshops, the conference highlighted cutting-edge tools for data analysis and research. The goal was to hold cross-disciplinary workshops on computational sociolinguistics, experimental sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistic tools for the study of language variation and change.

A secondary theme, Passing the Torch, celebrated the retirements of critical thinkers in the field of sociolinguistics while highlighting the work of new researchers who are influencing the future of the linguistics field.

U-M Linguistics Presentations and Posters

Linguistics graduate students Rachel Weissler, Dominique Bouavichith, and Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales presented the following research papers at NWAV 47:

  • Do listeners form grammatical expectations to African American Language?  (Weissler)

  • Is there an influence of race on evaluations of writers who produce typographical errors? (Weissler, Boland, Derricks, Queen and Sekaquaptewa). Presented with Linguistics Professor and Department Chair Robin Queen.

  • The Role of Social Expectation in the Perception of Gay Speech (Bouavichith)

  • Vowel system or vowel systems? Variation in the monophthongs of Philippine Hybrid Hokkien (Gonzales and Starr)

Linguistics graduate student Kelly Wright presented the following poster:

  • Lexical Racialization Examined through Machine Learning (K. E. Wright)

Student Travel Awards
In addition to presenting research, Dominique and Wilkinson were among those who received Student Travel Awards to this year’s conference. Congratulations, Dom and Wil!