Professor Sonderegger鈥檚 pioneering research in linguistics has been recognized with a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Speech Variability.
"I'm thrilled to receive this Canada Research Chair in Speech Variability, which will enable research into questions like why humans speak so many different languages, and how these languages change over time, using innovative quantitative methods and large speech datasets,鈥� says Sonderegger.
Professor Sonderegger鈥檚 research aims to find the answers to questions such as: Why do we speak so many different languages? And why and how do these languages change over time?
His research relies on mathematically precise computational models to determine how people understand, learn, and use language.
He and his research team are examining how the sounds of language vary across time and space. They are building large-scale, open-access datasets and computational tools to compare sound changes within and between languages and to test longstanding hypotheses about the roles of individual variation and physiology in explaining language change.
Sonderegger has already produced innovative insights and software that have led to practical applications, such as speech technology, the study of endangered languages, and treatments for communication disorders. Now, he and his team are creating datasets to map speech variability across languages and speakers, and will ultimately produce crucial data for interpreting fundamental aspects of human communication.
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