Eylem Altuntas

Research Student -  PhD

Research Program: Brain Sciences

Thesis Title

The Origins of Phonology and Lexicon (OPAL): Abstract Representations before 6 Months and its Relation to Infant-Directed Speech

Research Project

The project is expected to contribute to the understanding of how and to what extent young infants develop phonological abstraction, the role that parental speech may play in this, and their joint effect on later language development. It is anticipated that the study will provide valuable information regarding the causes of language delay and will inform carers’ optimal use of infant directed speech (IDS) so as to facilitate infants’ language acquisition.

In order to investigate phonological abstraction and IDS, a longitudinal study will be conducted, including investigation of (i) the degree of phonologically abstract language versus phonetically specific language processing in infants younger than 6 months; (ii) the degree of vowel dispersion and vowel hyperarticulation in each parent’s IDS, and their relation to the degree of phonological abstraction ability in their infant; and (iii) any relationship between data collected in the first two tasks to the vocabulary size of infants at 18 months of age

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts
• Master of Arts
• Master of Arts in TESOL at WSU (2018-2019)
• Summer Scholarship – BabyLab intern.

Publications

Altuntas, Eylem. “The Theme of Alienation in Two Dystopian Novels: Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451”. IIB International Refereed Academic Social Sciences Journal 12.4 (2013): 32-52.

Contact