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Catherine Laing

@cathelaing.bsky.social

200 followers 140 following 26 posts

Developmental linguist, outdoorsy type, PI for SENFM https://senfm.york.ac.uk/

senfm.york.ac.uk

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Nov 28

How lovely to reconnect with colleagues from all over - very much looking forward to hearing what everyone has been up to!

As for me: I'm currently running a project called SENFM, where we use ultrasound to scan babies' tongues, alongside daylong audio recordings taken across the first year.

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · 9d

yay!! congratulations!!

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · 15d

It made Pick of the Week as well! A listener said the episode is "a joyful celebration of the sound of words" and my partner's little girl presented it at Show and Tell. Career goals complete ✔️

Language and Linguistic Science @ UoY @uoylangling.bsky.social · 16d

Dr Catherine Laing from the Department of Language and Linguistic Science spoke with Michael Rosen on BBC Radio 4's "Word of Mouth" about her research on iconicity, onomatopoeia, and why babies use words like 'meow' and 'woof' so early in their language development.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Word of Mouth - Crash Bang Wallop: The Sound of Words - BBC Sounds

Michael Rosen and Dr Catherine Laing discuss words that sound like their meanings.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Catherine Laing

Language and Linguistic Science @ UoY @uoylangling.bsky.social · 16d

Our forensic speech scientists Dr James Tompkinson & Lauren Harrington recently provided expert evidence to a House of Lords inquiry on the use of police transcripts in the criminal justice system.

Their research is helping to inform UK policy.

Learn more:
www.york.ac.uk/language-lin...

Forensic speech scientists contribute to House of Lords inquiry

Academics provided evidence to the parliamentary inquiry on the production of transcripts in the criminal justice system.

www.york.ac.uk

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · 16d

sounds fun! I am definitely a noob here :)

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Sep 11

and thank you! :)

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Sep 11

so it does!!

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Sep 11

Happening now on Radio 4! 🤓

B&W Thornton of Stratford-upon-Avon @bwthornton.bsky.social · Sep 10

#Radio Crash Bang Wallop: The Sound of Words
Word of Mouth
Thur 15:30
BBC Radio 4
@michaelrosenyes.bsky.social and Dr Catherine Laing discuss onomatopoeia and other words that sound like their meanings. Produced by Becky Ripley.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, Crash Bang Wallop: The Sound of Words

Michael Rosen and Dr Catherine Laing discuss words that sound like their meanings.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Catherine Laing

kirstyrgreen.bsky.social @kirstyrgreen.bsky.social · Sep 10

I've enjoyed the Child Language Symposium at the University of Reading. It was especially fun to present my work on the iconicity advantage for young children learning onomatopoeia as part of our Iconicity Symposium @suzanneaussems.bsky.social @cyberming.bsky.social @cathelaing.bsky.social

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jul 11

a lovely morning with @yorktoolkit.bsky.social - I always love being part of these events and so great to learn how my work is relevant to A level teaching. Thanks so much for having me!

The York English Language Toolkit @yorktoolkit.bsky.social · Jul 11

We're off - first up is @cathelaing.bsky.social on size sound symbolism (or the lack of it?) in infant directed speech! #YorkCPD2025

Catherine Laing giving the first talk - we can see Catherine beside a large screen with the talk slides on it, and some listening teachers in the foreground.

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jul 11

I totally see that perspective, and I do worry you might be right (that it's a way of staying in the game, I mean). Though this tactic, if that's what it is, is good for absolutely no one in the long term.

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jul 11

💯💯💯

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jul 11

And...now you've got me started....I have started to wonder about the relevance/importance of some of the RQs being asked in my field. My cynical view is that sometimes a question is asked because it's quick and easy to answer, not because it's theoretically interesting or important.

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jul 11

Even as someone who counts things, I am totally with you here. Good, interesting, thorough work often takes time, patience, and a human eye/ear/brain (in fact, multiple human eyes/ears/brains!). Fast and easy science does seem to be taking over.

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jun 26

The exact reason I deleted my account yesterday!

Joshua קאַבאַק-געװירץ Raclaw @joshuaraclaw.com · Jun 26

Well this is a very fine reason to scrub and delete your academic dot edu accounts

Mercedes Durham @drswissmiss.bsky.social · Jun 26

Academia dot edu just informed me that it'd converted my PhD thesis into a podcast.
I foolishly listened ...

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jun 25

New paper available in Language & Speech 🤓 another look at phonological networks, this time analysing network graphs for a (I think) zoomed-in view of systematicity in early production 🐣

Systematicity Over the Course of Early Development: An Analysis of Phonological Networks doi.org/10.1177/0023...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Jun 25

Awful news. University for public good?

Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · Jun 25

Devastated that the Centre for Lifelong Learning @york.ac.uk is being closed after 40 years. What a loss to education in the region. Feel for students and staff. Being a tutor has been joy, doing what universities should be doing by sharing knowledge widely with our communities.

Reposted by Catherine Laing

University of York Library @uoylibrary.bsky.social · Mar 19

Not that we in the library wish to encourage profanity, but if you want to get rid of these AI-search summaries (which are often absolute nonsense), just swear in your search terms.

It really works.

a Google search for 'the effect of UX on libraries' showing an AI overview before the search results

a Google search for 'the effect of UX on [expletive] libraries' showing no AI overview, just the search results

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Mar 19

My commentary says things I've been wanting to say for a while. If we limit early communication to the counting-up of words, we miss a lot of data. Infants use a lot more than "conventional phonology" when learning how to speak, and some of my favourite examples of this are included in this paper 🤓

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Mar 19

This is a commentary on an original review paper by @dilaykaradoller.bsky.social, Beyza Sümer &
@asliozyurek.bsky.social who argue for an integrated model of speech, gesture and sign.

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Mar 19

My latest article, "Vocal gestures in early multimodal communication: A commentary on Karadöller, Sümer and Özyürek", is now available to read in First Language. There is a paywall, but I can share the electronic version with anyone who needs it.

doi.org/10.1177/0142...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

doi.org

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Feb 12

👋👋

Language and Linguistic Science @ UoY @uoylangling.bsky.social · Feb 12

Hello, world! We are the department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York, UK.
We are recognised for our research and teaching on languages and linguistics. We are excited to join Bluesky and share with you the latest news and events!
More details:
www.york.ac.uk/language/

Language and Linguistic Science - Language and Linguistic Science, University of York

The Department of Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York

www.york.ac.uk

Reposted by Catherine Laing

Emma Moore @scillym.bsky.social · Feb 10

Open-ended professorial position at University of Sheffield. We are seeking a Head of the School of English (any EGH discipline, including Language & Linguistics). Deadline 23rd Feb.
Details here: jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Head-of-.... Please share.

Head of School (School of English)

jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk

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Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Dec 12

This is great, thanks!

Catherine Laing @cathelaing.bsky.social · Dec 12

I bought my gifts last night! I usually hate buying Christmas presents but here is a way to make it really meaningful 🎄

University of York Library @uoylibrary.bsky.social · Dec 9

The first gifts are appearing under the Library Tree of Wishes! If you can support this please do, it’s a great thing we do every year.

We get gift lists from local charities, you source the gift and wrap it and put it under the tree, we take them to the charities. 🧵

www.york.ac.uk/library/abou...

A wrapped present under a Christmas tree

Reposted by Catherine Laing

Kirby Conrod @kirbyconrod.bsky.social · Dec 3

academics who boast about overworking are being bad role models and should stop overworking and barring that should shut thee fuck up about it in front of students. <-- general complaint not subtweet of anyone in particular, just pissed off about this today and always

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