Current Projects
Solving the puzzle of complex speech sounds
Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher AwardDE150100318: Proctor, M.I. (2015-2019)
Speech sounds that fall into the 'l' and 'r' family of consonants ('liquids')
are amongst the most difficult to master, both for children and for second language learners. Liquids are complex consonants,
requiring finely tuned, and language-specific, coordination of articulatory gestures, but the details of this complexity
remain poorly understood. Using state-of-the-art articulatory methods, we are examining liquid production and perception in
four typologically-distinct languages, to shed more light on the phonological properties of this class of sounds.
Kaytetye and Prosodic Theory
Australian Research Council Discovery ProjectDP150100845: Harvey, M., Turpin, M. & Proctor, M. (2015-2020)
We are examining the phonological structure of the Australian language Kaytetye,
a member of the Arandic language family. Arandic languages have previously been analyzed as having unusual (VC) syllable structures,
raising important questions for phonological theory. Through careful documentation and phonetic analysis of Kaytetye word and
sentence structure, we aim to shed more light on its phonological organization, and implications for general theories of
phonology and universals in language.