Neurolinguistic Methods

Presenters: Rachel Weissler Powell

T2MRB3

The central focus of this workshop is the neural machinery that is behind our ability to produce and understand language. We investigate the brain bases for linguistic knowledge regarding as being intertwined with our knowledge about culture, society, and social interaction. We’ll take an integrated approach, drawing on a range of state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques, as well as theories of how linguistic computations and representations can inform, and be informed by, our understanding of the brain. This workshop will include a lab visit field trip to get hands-on experience with fMRI, to not only enhance learning experiences for attendees, but also to inspire future research and critique the functionality of tools like these to answer linguistic questions. While we’ll be drawing primarily on neurolinguistic research, we will also be engaging with theories from sociolinguistics, social psychology, and psycholinguistics. As a workshop, the workshop is discussion-based and everyone is expected to take an active role during each session and contribute fully to the task of building and sustaining a learning community. Fundamentally, I hope we all see this workshop as a sandbox for intellectual exploration and research development.

Keywords: Psycholinguistics, Variation, Sociolinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Processing

Presenters

Rachel Weissler Powell

University of Oregon

Dr. Rachel Elizabeth Weissler is an assistant professor of linguistics with a Black Studies affiliation at the University of Oregon. She is also the Co-Director of the Umoja Black Scholars Academic Residential Community at the University. She is an African American English scholar with special interest in emotion perception. She uses experimental methods from sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics to better understand how Black people are viewed based on how they speak. She is a native Southern Californian, with passions for travel, dance, and community, and is importantly committed to helping demystify how to have a balanced life and successful career in the academic sphere.