The concept of speech rhythm and approaches to its acoustic measurement have been controversially debated since 1980s. The idea that linguistic rhythm can be reduced to three templates (\u201csyllable-timing\u201d, \u201cstress-timing\u201d, and \u201cmora-timing\u201d) has been tested in numerous studies. However, empirical research to date has failed to provide evidence for an acoustic basis of the dichotomy and the perceptual evidence in support of the idea is equally scarce. The seminar will revisit the controversial debates and outline a series of innovative methodological paradigms to study speech rhythm. Findings from most recent experiments using the new methodologies with English, French, and Japanese participants will be presented. The seminar will conclude with the discussion to what extent rhythm perception is bottom-up (i.e. guided by the acoustic signal) or top-down (i.e. shaped by the native prosodic system of the listener). The seminar will be accessible to a broad interdisciplinary audience with an interest in rhythm.<\/p>\n