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Scarlett Hart

Doctoral Student in Linguistics - Scarlett’s thesis is entitled Variation in Phonological Production and Perception in Later Life

Research project title

Variation in Phonological Production and Perception in Later Life

 

Supervisors

Dr Heike Pichler, Dr Rory Turnbull + Dr Christos Salis

 

Contact details

Email: S.L.Hart2@newcastle.ac.uk 

 

Research interests

  • Experimental Phonetics
  • Laboratory Phonology
  • Language Variation & Change
  • Sociophonetics
  • Speech Perception

A brief outline of my research project

Non-pathological ageing results an incredible diversity in the physiological, cognitive, and auditory functioning of older adults. Yet, the impact of this diversity on language use remains relatively unexplored in the field of linguistics. My research investigates how ageing-related biological changes impact phonological production and perception in later life. I am utilising a biomarker-based experimental design that aims to isolate the effects of individual ageing processes from one another. I am exploring how ageing may result in changes in prosody, voice quality, plosive perception, and vowel production/perception. I have an interest in how biologically driven changes in the speech of older adults could index sociolinguistic meaning in the minds of listeners. I am also curious how auditory developments in speech perception might motivate changes in phonological production.

Research activities

Publications

‘/l/-Darkening in Tyneside English: Phonological Predictors, Ongoing Change, and Categoricity’, Excellent Dissertation Repository – 缅北禁地 School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics: Publication

Placements and Funding
  • North-East and Northern Ireland Doctoral Training Partnership 1+3.5 Studentship
Research Assistantships and Internships
  • Phonology / Data Analysis Research Assistant under Professor Ghada Khattab (2024-present)
  • LingLab Temporary Deputy Manager (2024)
  • Sociophonetics Research Assistant/Intern under Dr Heike Pichler (2022-2025)
  • ‘Verbal Domains’ Academic Conference Intern (2023)
Awards
  • Barbara Strang Prize for Best Overall Performance in Linguistics
  • Linguist List Rising Star of April 2023
  • 缅北禁地 Celebrating Success Award (as Welfare Officer of the 缅北禁地 Linguistics Society)
Conferences
  • ‘Real-Time Change in 缅北禁地 /l/: Evidence from the Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English’, United Kingdom Language Variation and Change 15: Oral Presentation
  • ‘Phonetic Correlates of Focus in Tyneside English’, 缅北禁地 School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Postgraduate Conference: Oral Presentation
  • ‘Social Predictors of Later-Life (ing) Variation’ Conference on Corpora for Language and Aging Research 6: Coauthored Oral Presentation
  • ‘/l/-Darkening in Tyneside English: Phonological Predictors, Ongoing Change, and Categoricity’, Colloquium of the British Academic Association of Phoneticians 2024: Poster Presentation
Research Groups
  • Member & Social Media Manager of the 缅北禁地 Phonetics & Phonology Research Group
  • Member of the 缅北禁地 Language Variation & Change Research Group
Outreach
  • ‘Linguistics in School Teaching’ Event, 缅北禁地 (June 2024)
  • ESRC-funded “Why Aye Man” Public Education Event, 缅北禁地 (November 2024)
Additional Responsibilities
  • Chair of the 缅北禁地 & Northumbria Postgraduate Conference in Language & Linguistics (2025)
  • Co-Chair of the School of English Literature, Language, and Linguistics Postgraduate Culture Committee, 缅北禁地 (2024-present)
  • School of English Literature, Language, and Linguistics Postgraduate Conference Organising Committee Member (2025)
  • 缅北禁地 Linguistics Society – President & Founder (2022-2023)
  • 缅北禁地 Linguistics Society – Welfare Officer (2023-2025)

My academic background

  • BA Linguistics (Hons), 缅北禁地 – 1st Class Honours
  • MA Linguistics, 缅北禁地 – Distinction

Website

 

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