Graduate Student Research Spotlight | Chalee Yates
Chalee Yates
Program: Linguistics Ph.D.
Name of project/research: Lexically-driven adaptation to an unfamiliar r→l English accent by English listeners
Chalee Yates, a Linguistics graduate student, presented research through Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (PSLLT), a conference focused on second language learners and how they adapt when hearing unfamiliar or new accents. This project directly correlates with Yates’ interest in second language sound systems and how we process language and speech.
Yates began with a project proposal and developed an abstract, which she then submitted to PSLLT in the spring of 2025. At the conference she was able to discuss her work with the larger Linguistics community. “It may be scary to present a poster or talk at a conference, but the experience is rewarding and worth it.” Yates said. “If you are unsure what conference, or if you can present at all, talk to your advisors and professors, they tend to have the best insight and are willing (and in my case excited) to help you through it.”
One thing that was helpful to Yates’ research was the Speech Acquisition Lab. The lab offered Yates a space to get feedback on studies as well as a community of potential mentors. The greatest piece of advice that motivated Yates to move forward in her research was, “Mentally it might cost a lot, but Chalee you would do amazing at presenting at conferences." This advice gave Yates the confidence in herself to step outside of her comfort zone. Through this experience, she gained valuable experience with conducting studies, and deepened her skills in areas like time management and academic conference presentations. Yates said, “This experience has shown me that with each time it gets slightly easier, as I know now what to expect.”