I am interested in early online language comprehension and word learning, and in how children’s developing event representations contribute to these processes. My research focuses on development in the toddler and preschool years and employs a wide range of experimental methodologies including eye-tracking, language production, and computational modeling techniques. See below for a description of specific research topics. 

The role of event information in language comprehension and learning

In a few short years children learn thousands of words and a productive language system that allows them to produce and comprehend sentences that they've never heard before. One challenge that children face in acquiring this complex web of linguistic knowledge is to link words with their real-world referents. For instance, how do children learn who 'he'  is or what a new word 'dax' means? In these situations, adult listeners use knowledge of linguistic structure as well as  real world knowledge about the events under discussion to determine reference. My research explores how children make these links in real time as sentences unfold. Specific research questions in this area include:

(1) To what extent might situation models be involved in early language comprehension?

(2) How do children integrate verb presuppositions with discourse-provided event information to predict upcoming referents?

(3) What sources of individual variation are there in children's ability to make event-based pragmatic inferences during online language comprehension?

Lexico-semantic structure in early word learning

How does children's existing semantic/conceptual knowledge impact word learning? Network models of the semantic structure of children’s early productive vocabularies predict later language processing skill, yet relatively little is known about how children’s existing lexico-semantic structure supports vocabulary growth and language abilities. Further, prior research suggests that children with language delays (i.e., late-talking toddlers and children with Developmental Language Disorder) may employ different word-learning strategies and have sparser and more superficial lexico-semantic networks. Thus, better understanding the nature of the connection between semantic structure and vocabulary growth can help shed light onto mechanisms underlying long term language outcomes.