My work focuses on the phonological module – one of the parts of the brain that manipulates representations that are ultimately realized as physical movements that produce speech sounds. The phonological module interfaces with the phonetic module (a component that converts phonological symbols into instructions for physical movements), the syntactic module (which manipulates words to form sentences), the morphological module (which manipulates morphemes to form words), and the Lexicon (which contains information about words and fixed phrases).
In the broadest terms, my research goal is to figure out the representational and computational properties of the phonological system.
Here are some topics I have researched (and continue to research):
Evidence
I came to realize that many (perhaps most) of the descriptive work that I relied on are inadequate as sources of evidence for cognitive theories. The same goes for experimental evidence.
Cognitive Asymmetries (Markedness)
It seems that the brain doesn’t treat every linguistic object equally. I have theories about why that is, and nowadays I don’t think my earlier theory (a popular one) is right.
Stress: Tone and sonority
It’s commonly believed that the position of word stress (e.g. compare the object to I object) is entirely determined by edges and weight. I have proposed theories that tone and sonority can also determine stress position. Thanks to my students’ research, I no longer think these theories are right, though parts of them might be.
Morphophonology
Like many linguists, I am fascinated by weird morphemes.
Māori and other languages
I research the brain. Languages – or rather, their speakers – just happen to be one way I find out about how the brain works. I happen to keep on coming back to the same speakers and languages for evidence.
Me as evidence
My own speech has been elicited and used as evidence for phonological theories.