13th November 2024 12:20 PM

PhonDAWG - Phonetics Lab Data Analysis Working Group

Jennifer will present her summer fieldwork data.

15th November 2024 11:15 AM

Computational PsychoLinguistics Lecture: Analyzing Narratives in Accounting: Linguistic Analysis as a Lens for Financial Insights.

Michael will present his ongoing work in a talk titled:

Analyzing Narratives in Accounting: Linguistic Analysis as a Lens for Financial Insights.

Abstract:

Accounting fundamentally revolves around corporate communication with investors. While investors need quantitative data such as earnings and sales figures, these numbers do not stand alone without narratives and context. To explain and facilitate investors' understanding, accounting information inevitably incorporates extensive textual content. Annual reports (10-K) are lengthy documents averaging 42,000 words. Conference calls—where CEOs communicate with financial analysts—last over an hour and occur four times a year, supplemented by frequent press releases. Nowadays, many CEOs also maintain their own Twitter accounts to disclose corporate information directly, and the media frequently covers firms' activities. Consequently, companies and related intermediaries produce a vast amount of textual information.

Traditionally, accounting has focused on quantitative financial data presented in balance sheets and income statements, partly because there were no tools to analyze the extensive texts. However, since the late 2000s—particularly following Li’s influential study in 2008—the integration of linguistic theories and computational methods has shifted attention toward narrative disclosures, such as footnotes, management commentary, and conference calls, thus opening a "black box" for accounting researchers. These narratives are now recognized as critical sources of information that provide insights beyond numerical figures.

Drawing on influential accounting studies, this session will examine how narrative elements shape investor perceptions and affect market behaviors, as well as how firms strategically use language to obfuscate. By exploring how linguistic theories and tools enhance understanding in accounting, this session introduces the role of these theories and tools in an applied domain—accounting.

18th November 2024 12:20 PM

Phonetics Lab Meeting

Nielson will give a practice talk on his Cornell Gatty Lecture Series talk:  Implosives in Khmer:  Acoustics Analysis and Phonetics Implications.

Abstract:

Implosives are a class of consonants characterized by their unique articulation and acoustic properties. Despite their linguistic significance, their detailed analysis in Khmer, a language with a notable presence of these sounds, remains underexplored.

This study aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of implosive consonants in Khmer. The primary objective of this research is to analyze the acoustic properties of implosives in Khmer and to understand how these properties compare to those of other consonant types within the language. We also aim to explore how implosives interact with other phonetic variables.

Acoustic data were collected from native Khmer speakers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Long Beach, California; and Seattle, Washington focusing on implosive consonants in various phonetic contexts. Using advanced acoustic analysis techniques, including spectral and temporal measurements, I examined the characteristics of implosives.

The analysis revealed distinct acoustic signatures for Khmer implosives, including specific patterns in spectral frequency and temporal duration. Significant variations were observed based on phonetic context, with differences in implosive characteristics across word positions and speaking rates.

These findings highlight the complexity of implosive articulation in Standard Khmer and its interaction with other phonetic features as well as that of the American diasporic varieties of Khmer. This research provides new insights into the acoustic properties of implosives in Khmer, contributing to a deeper understanding of their role in the language's phonetic inventory.

The findings have implications for both theoretical phonetics and practical applications, such as speech synthesis and language teaching.

About the Speaker:

Nielson Sophann Hul was born in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge period and escaped to the United States of America when he was very young. After High School, he joined the U.S. Army and deployed during OIF/OEF as a Combat Medic.

During his breaks in service, Nielson graduated from UCLA with a BA in English Literature and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa with an MA in Linguistics. He is currently working toward his PhD in Linguistics at Cornell and is interested in the acoustic phonetics of laryngeal sounds in Khmer.

About the Gatty Lecture Series:

The Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture Series (formerly known as the Brown Bags) is a weekly lecture series featuring advanced SEAP graduate students as well as academics, diplomats, researchers, and others who have expertise in Southeast Asia. 

20th November 2024 12:20 PM

PhonDAWG - Phonetics Lab Data Analysis Working Group

John Starr will give a practice talk for his AMLaP (Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing) presentation.