Prof. Pavel Trofimovich (Concordia University)
BIOGRAPHY:
Pavel Trofimovich is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His research focuses on cognitive and social aspects of second language processing and learning and the acquisition of second language pronunciation and speaking skills by children and adults. He currently serves as Journal Editor of Language Learning.
TITLE OF HIS KEYNOTE TALK:
Exploring a new research agenda for second language speech learning
ABSTRACT:
In New Sounds’ nearly 30-year history, beginning from the first meeting at the Unversity of Amsterdam in 1990, the conference has become a major international event for researchers and practitioners interested in various aspects of speech learning and use. The conference now encompasses rich strands of theoretical and applied research, including (not not limited to) speech perception and production, phonetics and phonoogy, technology, multilingualism, learning of second and additional language, as well as various methodological approaches to the study of speech learning and use. A 30-year conference anniversary is an important milestone, requiring both a look back to evaluate what has been accomplished as well as a look towards the future to identify exciting new research trends. In this presentation, I will take stock of several conceptual and methodological achievements by second language speech researchers in the past three decades. I will then turn to the future and provide a personal view of possible new (or rediscovered old) agendas for second language speech learning, highlighting the dynamic, variable, multifaceted, and multimodal nature of speech learning and use. Above all, I will highlight the importance of socially relevant research practices which are useful to the daily lives of language speakers.