Exploring Multimodal Linguistic Input in the context of Early Language Acquisition (English Audio & Video Recordings).

(1) About the Project This project is lead by Sho TSUJI and Alex CRISTIA at the LSCP (Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique), and will be co-supervised by May ABDOU in the context of a PhD Thesis. Our research focuses on uncovering the cognitive and linguistic mechanisms underlying early language acquisition and developing experimental tools to collect and analyse large-scale data. Language acquisition is deeply influenced by the social environment surrounding a child. Fortunately, tech advances have provided us with a considerable amount of naturalistic, open-access data (audio & video recordings) that can give us insights into this dynamic context of language learning. However, there is a trade-off: Audio might be less obtrusive, can record longer and potentially capture more naturalistic behaviour … yet, relying on Video might be needed to truly capture the many aspects, including social, of language acquisition. We are curious about the specific contents provided to the child in their very first interactions. What kind of cues are communicated to them? And do these cues similarly manifest in both modalities of data, speech (audio) and behaviour (video)? How relevant are our tools? We are developing a coding scheme to systematically extract the different types of linguistic information present in interactions with children. This study investigates the nature of the information that the child is exposed to from their earliest years, enabling them to learn about language, from language and other input. (2) Who we’re looking for We are looking for M2 students to annotate a chunk of English audio & video recordings, applying our coding scheme to a first batch of data. Under the supervision of Sho TSUJI (Researcher) and May ABDOU (PhD Student), theory-led analysis of a data subset is possible, where the student has the opportunity to work on their Masters’ thesis or research paper. This internship offers you a chance to dive into the Scala Framework developed by Sho TSUJI, Alex CRISTIA and Emmanuel DUPOUX, regarding the foundations of language acquisition and their computational application. You will be integrated into a multidisciplinary team in Cognitive Science and Psycholinguistics and experience life at the lab (campus PANTHÉON). (3) Requirements - Basic experience with annotation tools such as ELAN. - Ensure that this project aligns with your research interests and studies.