LT.CityU

LT CityUHK invites you to a Research Forum lecture by Professor Brian James Baer from Kent State University. His talk, titled "Translation and/as Diasporic Self-fashioning," will explore how two 20th-century literary translators, Bernard Guilbert Guerney and Rose Quong, reshaped their identities through their work in a new cultural homeland.

The lecture will introduce the concept of 'diasporic self-fashioning,' drawing on contemporary translation and diaspora studies. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, 10 December 2025, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at LI-5401. We welcome all interested students and scholars to attend.

Let's give our spotlight to our LT PhD student CHEN Xiuting, supervised by Prof. LIU Meichun, for her rewarding achievement. Xiuting has received the Best Paper Award, titled Mandarin Influence on Cantonese Comparative Constructions since the Ming–Qing Dynasties, at the Biannual Conference of the Guangdong-Province Association of Linguistics on 16 November.

Abstract: The distribution of comparative constructions in Cantonese has undergone substantial readjustment since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The findings reveal that the evolution of comparative constructions in Cantonese followed a trajectory from the dominance of a single pattern in the Ming and Qing periods, through functional readjustments induced by diffusion, to the coexistence of two major comparative constructions under conditions of intensive language contact.

Congrats to our LT CityUHK Prof. Chaouch-Orozco Adel and his collaborator Prof. Liu Hong (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University)! Their article, named "Digits switch differently: Evidence of divergent cognitive control mechanisms in picture and digit language switching among ab initio learners" has been published on Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition.

Citation and link
Chaouch-Orozco, A., & Liu, H. (2025). Digits switch differently: Evidence of divergent cognitive control mechanisms in picture and digit language switching among ab initio learners. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001546

Abstract
Bilinguals simultaneously activate both languages during comprehension and production, requiring cognitive control to manage cross-language interference. Language-switching naming tasks using pictures or digits are traditionally employed to study this control. However, comparisons of these stimuli are scarce, raising critical questions about whether they engage similar cognitive processes. Importantly, assuming their equivalency risks overlooking key aspects of bilingual language control mechanisms. To investigate this, 192 native Chinese speakers learned Turkish words under seven conditions designed to manipulate semantic and associative relationships: unrelated pictures, semantically and associatively related pictures, as well as digits and magnitudes presented either sequentially or randomly. After learning the words to criterion accuracy, participants completed a language-switching picture-naming task. Results revealed larger switching costs for digits than unrelated pictures, an effect absent for magnitudes or other picture types. These findings suggest that digit naming may bypass semantic processing pathways, diverging from the top–down processes typically engaged in picture and magnitude naming. This divergence highlights key differences in cognitive processing and emphasizes the need for caution when comparing stimuli in language control research.

Digits switch differently: Evidence of divergent cognitive control mechanisms in picture and digit language switching among ab initio learners. Bilinguals simultaneously activate both languages during comprehension and production, requiring cognitive control to manage cross-language interference. Language-switching naming tasks using pictures or digits are traditionally employed to study this control. However, comparisons of these stimuli a...

This November, the LT Research Forum Seminar will host a distinguished talk that brings together leading voices in psycholinguistics, cognitive science, and language evolution. Mark your calendars and join us for this thought-provoking session:

24 November 2025 (Monday), 4:00–5:30 pm, Dr. Junru Wu (East China Normal University) “The Psychological Foundations of Language Contact and Coevolution” — Demonstrating how the mind manages pre-existing linguistic links and cognates to phonotactic patterns through a sophisticated cognitive toolkit, with evidence from behavioral and neurocognitive (EEG) experiments revealing the real-time mechanisms of loanword processing.

Venue: LI-6376, 6/F, Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Academic Building

Faculty, students, and guests from across disciplines are warmly invited to attend.

We are thrilled 🤩to announce that Prof. Niels Schiller, Head of Department of Linguistics and Translation, City University of Hong Kong, has been recognised as the World’s Top 2% Most-Cited Scientists 2025 by Stanford University by Career Data🥳👏.

Prof. Schiller has published over 150 papers under the fields of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, with nearly 3900 citations and h-index as 35. This distinction highlights his exceptional academic standards and impressive research achievements.

Stanford’s list of the top 2% most-cited scientists identifies scholars who have published multiple highly cited papers, ranked according to various metrics of citation impact across diverse scientific fields and subfields, based on Scopus data up to the end of the citation year 2025. The selection criteria include the top 100,000 scientists by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above in the sub-field.

https://www.cityu.edu.hk/class/media_events/news_item.aspx?ref=556

Ready for another LT CityUHK (Department of Linguistics and Translation, City University of Hong Kong) Research Forum presentation? This Thursday, David Haslett from HKUST will be talking about "Compression algorithms, human language processing, and misaligned AI". 📢 Everyone is welcome at 11 AM in the LI building (LI-5401)!

This October, the LT Research Forum Seminar will host two distinguished talks👏 that bring together leading voices in neuroscience, psychology, and language research🥳. Mark your calendars and join us for these thought-provoking sessions:

🌟 9 October 2025 (Thursday), 4:00–5:30 pm
Prof. Jubin Abutalebi (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele)
“The future of neuroscientific research in the field of bilingualism”— Exploring how cutting-edge neuroscience is reshaping our understanding of bilingual minds.

🌟 13 October 2025 (Monday), 4:00–5:30 pm
Prof. Bernhard Hommel (Shandong Normal University)
“On the pros and cons of having a noisy brain”— A provocative look at whether cognitive variability is a limitation or a resource.

Venues:
LI-6376 6/F, Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Academic Building for LT Research Forum: The Future of Neuroscientific Research in the Field of Bilingualism (Speaker: Prof. Jubin Abutalebi);

LI-5401, 5/F, Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Academic Building for LT Research Forum: On the pros and cons of having a noisy brain — A provocative look at whether cognitive variability is a limitation or a resource (Speaker: Bernhard Hommel).

Faculty, students, and guests from across disciplines are warmly invited to attend 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️.

An Audio Description (AD) Accessible Guided Tour was proudly 😍 organised by the LT CityUHK on September 13, 2025, co-organised by the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery of HK CityU, Hong Kong Blind Union, and Hong Kong Audio Description Studies Association (HKADSA) 🥳 .

The tour offered an inclusive art experience of the gallery's current exhibition "Central African Art Invocation of an Unseen World. 🥰" Guests with visual impairment explored the stories and traditions behind Central African art through carefully crafted AD focusing on the exhibit’s appearance and historical background, delivered by LT Bachelor graduate Sindìa Chow, audio describer and member of the Department's AD research project. More than 50 people joined this great event.

The tour received high praise. Merrick, a participant with visual impairment, described it as a “perfect blend of information and entertainment” compared with other guided tours. Tommy, team leader of the Hong Kong Blind Union, expressed his gratitude to the organisers for their thoughtful and well-executed programme, highlighting the warm support of student volunteers 🫶 . Other attendees also shared their appreciation, noting that the tour made them feel genuinely cared for and included in society. Many🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️expressed a strong desire for similar events in the future.

Professor Jackie Yan, project leader of LT CityUHK and President of HKADSA, emphasised that Hong Kong is the “East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange🤩 ” and that AD can serve as a bridge 🌉 for people with visual impairment to appreciate art and culture💕. She described the event as both an artistic journey that overcame visual barriers and an exploration of caring services for those in need. With greater social participation in the development of AD, she believes, the city can better support people with visual impairment in integrating into society👏😽.

The LT CityUHK has successfully held the LT Faculty Reception Day for new undergraduates on 16 September 2025👏😍. Kicking off the event, Prof. Niels Schiller gave a warm welcome, followed by Prof. John Lee and Prof. Hai Hu, marking a great start to the academic year for new students.



To celebrate the occasion, the LT team prepared ice cream🍧, letting Bachelor’s students share cheerful moments with all attending professors, including Prof. Adel Chaouch Orozco, Prof. CHAN Yuet Hung Cecilia, Prof. Charles B. Chang, Prof. FANG Chengyu Alex, Prof. LEE Vanti Wai Sum, Prof. LAI Jackie Yan Ki, Prof. Ashley Lewis, Prof. Aini Li, Prof. LI Bin, and Prof. Caesar Lun.



This gathering marked a great start to the academic year, welcoming our new students and fostering connections in the LT community🥳.

Mark your dates for the LT Research Forum Seminar broadcasts👇
🌟 15 Sep 2025, Monday: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Dr. Ka Yan Fu. (Education University of Hong Kong) - "Design and Development of AI-empowered Systems with Interactive Robots for Educational Applications"

🌟16 Sep 2025, Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Prof. Wang Linlin (East China Normal University) - "Where Linguists Meet LLMs: Complementary Forces via Agent Collaboration"

🌟18 Sep 2025, Thursday: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Dr. Yuhui Xu (Salesforce AI Research) - "Towards Efficient Training and Inference for Large Language Models"

All sessions will be held at LI-5401, 5/F, Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Academic Building😃.

We’re excited 🤩 to share that our LT Programme Orientation Day was successfully held on 27 August 2025🫶!

The BA Orientation (Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Language Applications) began with a warm welcome from Prof. Cecilia Chan, followed by helpful briefings from Ms. Christy Chan (Chan Feng Men-ling Chan Shuk-lin Language Centre) and Ms. Iris Lau (Committee Against Sexual Harassment). Programme leaders introduced key components of the BA journey, including internships (Prof. Adel Chaouch-Orozco), student exchange (Prof. Cecilia Chan), and major options (Prof. John Lee). The session wrapped up with a Mentor-Mentee Meeting led by Prof. Adel Chaouch-Orozco.

The MA Orientation (Master of Arts in Language Studies) kicked off with opening remarks by Prof. Cecilia Chan. Mr. Adan Pun, Prof. Caesar Lun, Prof. Jackie Yan, and Prof. Bin Li shared valuable insights on career services, major pathways, streams, and safety.

A great start🌺 to the academic year—welcome to all our new students👏!

Please find more details at our LT official website👇 :
https://lt.cityu.edu.hk/news/lt-programme-orientation-day-was-successfully-held-27-august-2025

Congratulations🥳 to our LT PhD student REN Xinyue and Professor LIU Meichun, together with their collaborator Prof. Michael Carl, for receiving the Best Poster Award at RaAM17 (the 17th Researching and Applying Metaphor Annual Conference), held on 10 August 2025 in Southfield, Michigan, USA.

Their award-winning paper ( #11), titled Cognitive effort in metaphor translation: Insights from eye-tracking and key-logging evidence, was recognized for its outstanding contribution to empirical research on metaphor and translation.

Click here for more details on the RaAM17 Conference👇
https://lnkd.in/eTQhPVH3