Jennifer Foote is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education. Her research focuses on second language pronunciation, speech perception, and the role of technology in improving language learners' communicative success. She has published extensively on topics including pronunciation pedagogy, workplace language barriers, and ethical considerations in language teaching. Her work addresses critical issues such as how linguistic background influences speech intelligibility and the development of user-centered assessment tools for multilingual university settings. Courses taught include foundational TESL courses and specialized pronunciation instruction modules. Recent research trends show a strong focus on technology integration, with studies exploring mobile applications for pronunciation practice and AI-driven tools for speech analysis. Her contributions also emphasize ethical dimensions of pronunciation teaching and its societal implications for immigrant integration. Jennifer Foote collaborates widely with colleagues in linguistics, speech pathology, and education, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to solving real-world language challenges.
Mutian He is a PhD candidate and Doctoral Assistant at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, affiliated with the Idiap Research Institute and the School of Engineering. He is pursuing his doctoral studies in Electrical Engineering under the supervision of Phil Garner. He holds a B.E. from Beihang University (BUAA) and an MPhil from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). B.E., Beihang University (BUAA), 2019 MPhil, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2022 PhD Candidate, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ongoing His research focuses on spoken language understanding, speech synthesis, and the intersection of speech and language processing with machine learning. He explores efficient model architectures, pretraining strategies, multilingual and low-resource modeling, and the use of large language models in speech tasks. His work spans both theoretical and applied aspects, including distillation to linear-complexity models, robust TTS, and commonsense reasoning via conceptualization. His recent publications at top venues such as ICLR, EMNLP, Interspeech, and KDD demonstrate a strong trend towards efficient and scalable models for speech and language, with increasing emphasis on multilingualism, knowledge transfer, and real-world deployment in low-resource settings. He has also contributed to open-source implementations and community tools like Speech Rankings. Joint Fine-tuning and Conversion of Pretrained Speech and Language Models towards Linear Complexity (ICLR 2025) Acquiring and Modelling Abstract Commonsense Knowledge via Conceptualization (AIJ 2024) The Interpreter Understands Your Meaning: End-to-end Spoken Language Understanding Aided by Speech Translation (Findings of EMNLP 2023) Can ChatGPT Detect Intent? Evaluating Large Language Models for Spoken Language Understanding (Interspeech 2023) Multilingual Byte2Speech Models for Scalable Low-resource Speech Synthesis (2022) Mutian He has served as a teaching assistant for courses including Introduction to Natural Language Processing at HKUST and Introduction to Speech Processing at Idiap. He has also worked on speech synthesis at Microsoft, focusing on robustness and multilingual conditions. He is actively involved in research advising under Phil Garner and has collaborated with multiple researchers across institutions. He is affiliated with the LIDIAP (Laboratory of Intelligent Data Analysis and Pattern Recognition) at EPFL, where he contributes to research in deep learning for speech and language. His lab work involves developing novel neural architectures, conducting experiments on multilingual datasets, and open-sourcing code to promote reproducibility.
Christopher Botero serves as Associate Professor and Program Director in the Department of English & World Languages at Augusta University's Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. He additionally coordinates the BA World Language Education programs and MAT World Languages program within the College of Education & Human Development. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Spanish from Pennsylvania State University (2011), M.A. in Spanish from the same institution (2004), and B.A. in Linguistics, Comparative, and R from the State University of New York (2001). Dr. Botero's research centers on Hispanic linguistics with specialization in phonetics and phonology, second language acquisition, and language teaching methodology. His work examines Spanish sound systems, bilingual code-switching phenomena, and computer-assisted language learning applications. He actively develops educational resources for language instruction and disability comprehension within Spanish-speaking contexts. His publication record reveals consistent focus on L2 phonological acquisition, particularly how instructional methods and digital tools impact pronunciation development. Recent work analyzes perceptual feedback mechanisms in language production while earlier research investigated phonetic carryover effects in bilingual speech. Among his professional recognitions are the American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (GA Chapter) 'Professor of the Year' award (2014) and Augusta State Center of Teaching and Learning's 'Caught in the Act of Great Teaching' award (2012). Additional honors include Alpha Mu Gamma Honor Society membership (2011) and Bunton-Waller Scholarship Award (2008). Dr. Botero maintains extensive service commitments across departmental, college, and university levels. He currently serves on the Foreign Language Academic Advisory Committee (FLAAC) and Georgia DOE K-16 World Languages Advisory Committee while previously contributing to promotion/tenure committees, curriculum design initiatives, and textbook selection processes. As codirector of the Linguistics Certificate program and coordinator of world language teacher education pathways, he shapes pedagogical training for future language educators across multiple degree programs.
Aaron Braver is an Associate Professor and Director of Linguistics at the Department of English, Texas Tech University. He investigates phonetics, phonology, and their interface through both theoretical and experimental approaches, with a focus on South African Bantu languages like Xhosa. Ph.D. in Linguistics, Rutgers University (2013) B.A. in Linguistics and Linguistic Anthropology, Brandeis University His research spans three interconnected projects: Bantu (morph)phonology: Examining phonotactic generalizations in noun class morphology, uncommon sounds (e.g., Xhosa’s velar ejective affricate), and incomplete neutralization phenomena. Incomplete Neutralization: Modeling phonetic-phonological interactions in cases where contrasts persist despite phonological identity. Gesture in Language Learning: Interdisciplinary studies on whether gesturing avatars enhance computer-based L2 pronunciation learning, collaborating with psychology and computer science researchers. Recent publications highlight trends in phonetic constraint modeling (2023, 2019), Bantu morphophonology (2020, 2016), and gesture-based pedagogy (2020, 2019). He leads the Phonetics and Phonology Linguistics Lab (PPLL) at TTU.
Yunwen Su serves as Assistant Professor and Director of the Chinese Language Program in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with additional appointments in Linguistics and the Center for East Asian Languages and Cultures. Her research centers on second language acquisition, particularly pragmatic and interactional competence development in Chinese language learning. Education: Ph.D. in Second Language Studies, Indiana University Bloomington M.A. in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Xi'an Jiaotong University B.A. in English, Xi'an Jiaotong University Dr. Su investigates acquisition, pedagogy, and assessment of L2 pragmatics, examining learners' pragmatic production through linguistic approaches. Her recent work explores nonproductive aspects of pragmatic competence focusing on prosody-pragmatics interfaces and digital-context interactional competence assessment, alongside native speaker analysis of Chinese speech events from cross-cultural perspectives. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals increasing methodological sophistication through computational analysis, acoustic measurement, and discourse-gating tasks applied to Mandarin speech acts. Key trends include prosody-pragmatics integration in refusal strategies and digital assessment tools for business Chinese contexts. Grants: 2023–2024: CIBER Business Language Research Grant for 'Web-Based Instruction of Second Language Chinese Pragmatics in Business Chinese' (with Yingling Bao) 2021–2022: CIBER Business Language Research Grant for 'Gift Giving Interactions and the Chinese Concept of Politeness' (with Yingling Bao)
Dr. Michael T. Johnson is a Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Success at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering . Previously, he served as Professor and Chair at UKY (2016–present), Full Professor at Marquette University (2013–2016), and in progressive academic roles from Assistant to Associate Professor at Marquette (2000–2013). PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University (2000) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio (1994) B.S. in Engineering (EE concentration) and Computer Science, LeTourneau University (1989–1990) His research spans speech processing , machine learning , bioacoustics , and dynamical systems modeling . Key projects include electromagnetic articulography (EMA) for language learning, acoustic-to-articulatory inversion , and bioacoustic analysis of animal vocalizations (tigers, belugas, elephants). Collaborative work with institutions like Tsinghua University and the Georgia Aquarium highlights his interdisciplinary focus. Recent publications emphasize deep learning for speech enhancement (CNN-based temporal envelope reconstruction), dysarthric speech synthesis , and cross-lingual speaker identification . His 15 most recent articles (2016–2024) span machine learning, signal processing, and bioacoustics, with subfields including neural networks, articulatory modeling, and pandemic preparedness analysis. Scientific awards include Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Teaching Awards (2005, 2014). He has mentored numerous PhD/Masters students at University of Kentucky and Marquette University, with theses on topics like acoustic-to-articulatory inversion , EMA databases , and bioacoustic classification . His work also involves virtual reality welding systems and nonlinear speech enhancement via phase space reconstruction.
Dr. Susana Perez Castillejo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the University of St. Thomas' College of Liberal Arts. She coordinates the first three semesters of Spanish language instruction and teaches courses in Spanish language, culture, linguistics, and phonetics. Her educational background includes a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics and MA in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Minnesota, an MA in Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Seville, Spain. Her research examines how extralinguistic factors like social networks, multilingual exposure, emotional states, and communication contexts influence speech production and perception in first and second languages. Current projects focus on multilingual phonetic systems and cross-linguistic influences. Research areas include: Spanish phonetics and sociophonetic variation Cognitive aspects of second language processing Language anxiety and fluency relationships Technology-mediated language learning Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on bilingual phonetics, language variation in Galician Spanish, and pedagogical applications. Her work combines laboratory phonetics with sociolinguistic approaches to examine language contact phenomena, with emerging attention to technological innovations in language education. No scientific awards are documented in available materials. Dr. Perez Castillejo leads curriculum development for foundational Spanish courses and mentors graduate teaching assistants. No specific grant funding or lab affiliations are mentioned, though her coordination role involves program administration and teaching supervision.
Audrey Chery is an Instructor and faculty director of the French language and culture program in Lyon at Arizona State University's School of International Letters and Cultures. She holds a PhD in Comparative Culture and Language (2024) and dual BAs in French and Spanish Linguistics (2014). Her certifications include Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and French for Specific Purposes from Paris Chamber of Commerce. Education: PhD - Comparative Culture and Language (ASU, 2024) Certificates in Translation & CALL (ASU, 2022) MA - French Linguistics (ASU, 2016) BAs - French & Spanish Linguistics (ASU, 2014) Research focuses on: L3/World Language Acquisition Languages for Professional Purposes Computer-Assisted Language Learning Translation Studies Teaching spans Elementary-French to Advanced levels, with frequent course offerings in Intermediate French (FRE 201) and Special Topics (FRE 598). Active in presenting at conferences on L3 pronunciation and Spanish phonology. Labs/Teams: Involved in ASU's Global Education Programs and CALL initiatives.
Marie-Josée Hamel is Full Professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, University of Ottawa. Education: Ph.D. in Language Engineering (UMIST, 2003), M.A. in Linguistics (Université de Montréal, 1994). Research develops technology-enhanced language tools, focusing on: Parser-based CALL systems Online learner dictionaries Usability testing frameworks Holds research chair for CALL innovations and directs graduate studies. Teaches technology-integrated French pedagogy.
Chunsheng Yang is an Associate Professor in Chinese Studies at the University of Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics from The Ohio State University (2011), along with MA degrees in Chinese Linguistics (2009) and English Linguistics (2005), and a BA in English (2000) from the University of Science and Technology of China. His research focuses on second language acquisition, Mandarin prosody, and technology-enhanced language teaching. Key research interests include L2 Mandarin pronunciation pedagogy, speech perception models, telecollaborative language learning, and the application of digital tools like WeChat and iPads in education. He has authored/co-authored seminal works such as The Acquisition of Second Language Mandarin Prosody (2016) and edited volumes on Chinese L2 pronunciation (2021). Yang's work bridges experimental linguistics and pedagogical practice, with studies on tonal acquisition, affricate articulation, and compliment response pragmatics. His projects investigate how L1 tonal backgrounds influence L2 Mandarin proficiency and explore innovative teaching strategies through virtual exchanges and rhythm metrics analysis.
Grzegorz Krynicki is a Senior Researcher at the Faculty of English , Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland. He leads the Speech and Language Processing Laboratory , focusing on experimental phonetics, machine translation, and computer-assisted language learning. With a Ph.D. in English (2006) and MA in English (2000) from Adam Mickiewicz University, he has contributed extensively to articulatory phonetics and Polish-English corpus linguistics. Education MA in English, Poznań (2000) Ph.D. in English, Poznań (2006) His research interests bridge Articulatory Phonetics and Machine Learning , with applications in Computer Assisted Pronunciation Teaching , Automatic Speech Recognition , and Corpus Linguistics . He has developed tools like Wordbuilder for corpus-based exercises and IPA2Polglish for phonetic transcription conversion. The articles reflect his expertise in electropalatography (EPG) for L2 pronunciation teaching, phonetic error detection in Polish learners of English, and machine translation systems like POLENG. His work spans Multilingualism , Speech Technology , and Polish-English Contrastive Analysis . Scientific Awards University of Bielefeld scholarship (1999) Professional Activities include participation in the International Society of Phonetic Sciences and development of the Speech and Language Processing Laboratory . He has presented at conferences such as the International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (2019) and Societas Linguistica Europaea meetings, often collaborating with institutions like the University of Colorado and Linköping University.
Michael Rushforth serves as Assistant Dean for Experiential Learning Initiatives and Professor of Instruction in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Liberal and Fine Arts, where he bridges academic leadership with innovative language education practices. His research spans computational linguistics, virtual reality applications in language pedagogy, dialogue systems for tactical questioning, and accessibility solutions for visually impaired learners. He integrates artificial intelligence with speech technologies to develop immersive language learning environments, with particular focus on Spanish fluency assessment and cross-cultural communication frameworks. His work addresses critical gaps in accessible linguistics education and equitable technology implementation. Recent publications reveal a trajectory from foundational dialogue system research toward AI-driven language assessment tools, demonstrating consistent innovation in merging theoretical linguistics with practical educational technology. His 2024 dataset for Spanish fluency prediction exemplifies this evolution, building upon earlier work in virtual human interactions and tactical questioning systems developed since 2001. Rushforth secured a $74,750 grant for an Intelligent Virtual Reality System for Language Learning (2020-2022) and maintains active conference engagement, presenting at Linguistics Society of America meetings on accessibility, pandemic-era online teaching adaptations, and virtual reality applications across national and international venues including Washington DC, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City.
PATRICIA MARTIN RODILLA is a Researcher affiliated with the Center for Research in Intelligent Technologies (CITIUS). She holds a PhD from the Universitat Politècnica de València (2016) with a thesis on software-assisted knowledge generation in cultural heritage. Her work focuses on interdisciplinary applications of AI in humanities, discourse analysis, and archaeological methodologies. Key research areas include hate speech detection using LLMs, digital humanities frameworks, and computational approaches to cultural heritage preservation. Her educational background includes advanced studies in computational methods and their application to archaeological discourse analysis. She has contributed to projects like ACME and erisk, addressing early risk prediction on social media platforms. Her publications emphasize methodology validation, uncertainty management in archaeological data, and the ethical implications of AI in language processing. Dr. Martin Rodilla has pioneered software tools for discourse analysis and heritage documentation, such as the PAFe plugin for phonetic feedback in language learning. Her work integrates fuzzy logic for uncertainty modeling and explores the intersection of archaeology with computational linguistics. She has also engaged in collaborative efforts to standardize methodologies across European archaeological organizations. Her research bridges technical innovation with humanistic inquiry, particularly in leveraging AI for heritage preservation, bias mitigation in language models, and enhancing scholarly communication through digital platforms.
Dr. Yolanda Joy Calvo Benzies is a Tenured Contract Senior Lecturer in the Department of Spanish, Modern and Classic Philology at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), where she serves as Vicedean of Coordination and Projection at the Faculty of Tourism since February 2024. Previously, she was the mobility coordinator for the Faculty of Tourism from February 2020 to February 2024, overseeing Erasmus+ exchanges and student internships. Her educational background includes a BA in English Philology (2008), MA in English Linguistics (2010), and PhD (2016) all from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Her doctoral research focused on the role of pronunciation in EFL classes in Spain. Department of Spanish, Modern and Classic Philology, University of the Balearic Islands Faculty of Tourism (Vicedean since 2024) Applied Linguistics Research Group (REGAL) Dr. Calvo Benzies' research focuses on applied linguistics to English language teaching, particularly English for Tourism, pronunciation instruction, and innovative teaching methodologies incorporating ICTs and AI. She has published over 25 articles and book chapters with international publishers including Peter Lang and Springer, examining topics such as gamification in ESP classrooms, mobile applications in tourism education, and pronunciation challenges for Spanish learners of English. Her recent publications show a clear trajectory toward integrating emerging technologies in language education, with growing emphasis on AI applications since 2022. The research consistently addresses practical classroom applications rather than purely theoretical linguistics, reflecting her commitment to improving language teaching practices. As an active member of the academic community, she has participated in over 50 national and international conferences, served as Assistant Editor for Atlantis (2019-2024) and RAEL (2017-2023), and has supervised more than 40 undergraduate and graduate theses. She currently serves as Co-PI of an AI in language teaching project funded by IRIE and is a member of the Spanish Ministry-funded research project INMESO (PID2021-122267NB-I00) focusing on English in social media. Her teaching innovation work includes conducting workshops on academic presentation skills, pronunciation teaching, and AI tools for language educators at various Spanish universities. She has participated in 5 teaching innovation projects across multiple institutions, demonstrating her commitment to advancing language pedagogy through evidence-based practices and technological integration.
Saandia Ali is a Lecturer-researcher in the Department of English-Speaking World Studies (DEMA) at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès and works within the CLLE laboratory (Cognition, Languages, Ergonomics). She has been teaching grammar, oral language, linguistics, phonetics, and phonology of English and sociophonetics at the DEMA from L1 to M1 levels since 2016, having previously taught at the University of Rennes 2 from 2011-2016. Dr. Ali obtained her doctorate in phonetics and phonology of English from Aix-Marseille I University in 2010 with her dissertation titled "Study of the relationship between the annotation of prosodic forms and functions in contemporary British English" under the supervision of Daniel Hirst. Her academic journey includes a postdoctoral research associate position at Newcastle University (2010-2011) and lecturing positions at Aix-Marseille I University (2007-2009) and IUFM of Aix-en-Provence (2005-2007). As a specialist in English phonetics and phonology, Dr. Ali's primary research interests focus on suprasegmental aspects such as intonation, its modeling, and the form-meaning relationship through the study and annotation of oral corpora. A second major research strand concerns the acquisition and teaching of pronunciation in English as a second language, technology-assisted pronunciation teaching, and the question of intelligibility. Her work bridges theoretical phonetics with practical applications in language teaching. Dr. Ali's publication record reveals a consistent focus on English pronunciation research, with particular emphasis on intelligibility in second language contexts. Her recent work (2023-2025) includes comprehensive scoping reviews analyzing 25 years of L2 English pronunciation research, demonstrating her leadership in synthesizing and advancing the field. She frequently collaborates with researchers like Linda Terrier and Marie Garnier, indicating strong interdisciplinary connections within applied linguistics. Active researcher in English phonetics and phonology since 2007 Extensive publication record spanning theoretical and applied aspects Sustained focus on pronunciation teaching methodologies Strong collaborative research network Dr. Ali's work on technology-assisted pronunciation training, particularly her framework for pronunciation training using adapted automatic speech recognition systems, demonstrates her commitment to bridging theoretical linguistics with practical classroom applications. Her research on intelligibility factors in L2 English pronunciation has significant implications for language teaching methodology and curriculum development.
