UROP Project

spanish linguistics social sciences data analysis
Research Mentor: Yeimy J Roberto, She, her hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Modern Languages and Linguistics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: yroberto@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10 hours a week,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday, September 4 from 12 pm to 12:30 pm Access the recording here: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/6OnBFlo_8IyLUWKJ0AunTGqoX24PlU5651l58XlGkib-tS7rGh591-6fNy5s7Qk.OFkflpiFgHUZoAbG?startTime=1725465658000
Friday, September 6 from 12 pm to 12:30 pm

Project Description

This research investigates the intonation of a variety of Spanish in Colombia influenced by historical Quechua. The goal is to identify unique acoustic traits and explore syntactic-prosodic mechanisms for expressing focus in Andean Spanish. To achieve this, we analyze audio data, annotate speech patterns, create a comprehensive database, document the inventory of observed traits, and compare them with previous research. As linguistic research has become a critical resource in advancing our comprehension of human aural communication, it is expected that results will enhance our understanding of syntactic-prosodic mechanisms in Spanish and identify intonation patterns specific to the region.

Research Tasks: The research assistant will assist with data analysis in the field of Linguistic Research, specifically experimental phonetics. Data for this research consists of audio recordings in Spanish. The mentee will receive special training to use the software that facilitates de visual analysis of the audio. After the training, mentees will be able to create text grids, transcribe words, and annotate movements observed in the voice. The analysis requires the ability to listen to audio recordings in Spanish and match the captions syllable by syllable.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: To do linguistic data analysis, the mentee ideally understands Spanish (highly recommended). Basic software skills, detail-oriented and time management are desired but not required, as you can develop those during our time working together. Being self-motivated is appreciated.

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring philosophy is centered on fostering an environment where mentees can become more competitive professionally. My priority is to empower mentees to set their milestones and encourage them to take ownership of their achievements/learning opportunities (and celebrate them!) By creating a supportive atmosphere where sharing thoughts, concerns, and new ways of completing tasks is stimulated, I believe mentees can thrive in any situation (personal, professional, academic). Fostering autonomy in their research endeavors and respectful communication will instill a lifelong commitment to intellectual curiosity and ethical research practices.

Additional Information

Having Spanish understanding is not the most valuable skill for this research. Rather, following the annotation procedures with faithfulness is. If you don't have the language requirement, but you follow procedures thoroughly, you are welcome to the team. The analysis of the data consist of premeditated sentences read by participants. As they are premeditated, you have access to the captions, but must match them syllable by syllable in the software. You'll receive specialized training to do so.

Link to Publications

https://sites.google.com/view/proyectopasto/home
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