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Welcome to my website! I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai‘i. My research explores how we acquire and process first and additional languages using psycholinguistic methods, with a special focus on (morpho)syntax. I aim to uncover insights that deepen our understanding of language representations and their real-time use.

Outside academia, I enjoy hiking scenic trails and singing my favorite tunes. The background picture was taken on one of the beautiful trails on O‘ahu Island.

Feel free to check out my CV to learn more about me!

Awards

2025, Sept.
Taiwanese Overseas Pioneers Grants, National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, $30,000

2024, Sept.
Best AI project, Honolulu Tech Week, Community Hackathon, $1,000

2024, Apr.
GASLA Travel award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Meeting of Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition, $500 for conference expenses

2024, Mar.
Ruth B. Crymes Scholarship, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $1,000 for research travel

2024, Feb.
Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants, Linguistics Program, U.S. National Science Foundation, $16,891

2024, Jan.
SLS Research Reimbursement 2023, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $741 for conference travel

2023, Nov.
Paula Menyuk Travel Award, Boston University, Boston University Conference on Language Development, $385 for conference expenses

2023-2024
Study Abroad Grant, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, $32,000

2023, Jun.
Performance Fund, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $500 for data collection

2023, Jun.
Ah Kin (Buck) Yee Graduate Fellowship in Chinese Studies, Center for Chinese Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $7,000

2023, May
Research Corporation University of Hawaiʻi Graduate Fellowships, Graduate Division, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $4,575

2023, May
Ruth B. Crymes Scholarship, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $500 for conference travel

2023, Mar.
Chung-Fong & Grace Ning Fund, Center for Chinese Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $1,500 for data collection

2023, Jan.
Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Travel Grant Award, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, $442 for conference travel

2021, Nov.
Paula Menyuk Travel Award, Boston University, non-monetary award due to virtual format of the Boston University Conference on Language Development during COVID-19

2021, Oct.
UH Mānoa CARES Grant, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, $2,000

2019–present
Graduate Assistantship, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $19,686/year

2019–present
Student-Affiliate Fellowship, East-West Center, Honolulu, HI

2019, Mar.
Graduate School Conference Travel Grant Award, Georgetown University, $250 for conference travel

2019, Mar.
Linguistics Department Conference Travel Grant, Department of Linguistics, Georgetown University, $500 for conference travel

2019, Mar.
Open House Travel Grant, Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, $500 for campus visit travel

2014–2017
Research Assistant Fellowship, Department of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan Normal University, $15,000/year

2014
Dean’s List Award, Department of Diplomacy, National Chengchi University, for academic achievement

Publications

In prep.
Chang, Y.-T. Effects of semantics and syntax on Chinese and Spanish native speakers’ Chinese sentence processing.

In prep.
Chang, Y.-T., and Jiang, N. Second language speakers’ selective integration of linguistic knowledge―The Mandarin ba-construction.

In prep.
Chang, Y.-T., Shin Fukuda, & Bonnie D. Schwartz. On factors affecting L2 development of Mandarin aspect vis à vis the Incompleteness Effect.

In prep.
Chang, Y.-T., Theres Grüter, & Bonnie D. Schwartz. Troubleshooting L2 Mandarin Aspect: A Processing Investigation of Boundedness with Grammatical Information and Event Texture in Native and Nonnative Mandarin.

2023
Chang, Y.-T., Choe, A., Holden, D., Isbell, D. R. Making each point count: Revising a rubric adapted from the Jacobs et al. (1981) composition PROFILE. Language Testing, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322231217979 (Online First date: 12/30/2023)

2023
Grüter, T., Kim, J., Nishizawa, H., Wang, J., Alzahrani, R., Chang, Y.-T., Nguyen, H., Nuesser, M., Ohba, A., Roos, S., & Yusa, M. Language proficiency modulates listeners’ selective attention to a talker’s mouth: A conceptual replication of Birulés et al. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(4), 1074–1089. doi:10.1017/S0272263123000086

2022
Chang, Y.-T., Choe, A., Holden, D., Isbell, D. R. An evaluation of HELP’s writing placement test rubric using many-facet Rasch analysis. Second Language Studies, 40(1).

2022
Lin, K., Chang, Y.-T., & Deen, K. The child acquisition of voice in Paiwan. In Y. Gong & F. Kpogo (Eds.), Proceedings of the 46th annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 456–468). Cascadilla Press. http://www.lingref.com/bucld/46/BUCLD46-35.pdf

Teaching

2023, Fall
Academic English pronunciation tutoring, Pronunciation tutor, Center for Academic Spoken English, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2023, Spring
SLS 280: Bilingualism: Cognition and Society, Instructor of Record, Second Language Studies BA Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2022, Fall
SLS 490: Second Language Testing, Instructor of Record, Second Language Studies BA Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2022, Spring
SLS 303: Second Language Teaching, Instructor of Record, Second Language Studies BA Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2021, Fall
SLS 302: Second Language Learning, Instructor of Record, Second Language Studies BA Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2019–2021, 2023
ELI 80: Advanced Academic Listening and Speaking, English Instructor, English Language Institute, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2017–2019
CHIN 212 Third Level Chinese II (3)/CHIN 112 Intensive Second Level Chinese II (6), Mandarin Instructor, Department of East Asian Language and Culture, Georgetown University

2015–2017
Spring Intensive Chinese Class, Mandarin Instructor, Waseda University, Japan

2014–2017
Chinese Academic Writing and Speaking, Mandarin Instructor, National Taiwan Normal University