Current & Recent Projects
with selected publications

Sociophonetics Lab 

​Full CV 

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Remote Sociophonetic Data Collection

Current work, Sociophonetics Lab, Oklahoma State University
When the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to in-person data collection, researchers shifted to collecting speech recordings through smartphones and video call apps like Zoom or Skype.  In collaboration with Dr. Paul De Decker of Memorial University of Newfoundland, this project tested the suitability of such recordings for linguistic research. We have since expanded to workshops and panels on remote data collection methods. 

• Freeman, V. & De Decker, P. (2021). Remote sociophonetic data collection: Vowels and nasalization from self-recordings on personal devices.  Language and Linguistics Compass, 15(7), e12435. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12435.
• Freeman, V. & De Decker, P. (2021). Remote sociophonetic data collection: Vowels and nasalization over video conferencing apps.  Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 149(2), 1211–1223. [Invited paper, special issue on COVID-19 Pandemic Acoustic Effects.] https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0003529. 

Presentations   (*student author)

• Freeman, V. (2023, January). Remote sociophonetic data collection. Full-day minicourse, Linguistic Society of America (LSA), Denver, CO.
  
• Freeman, V. & De Decker, P. (2021, October). Are my vowels valid? Assessing speech acoustics from remote recordings on smartphones and video calls. Panel on Collecting Data in a Pandemic and Beyond, New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV 49), Austin, TX/Online.
• Freeman, V. (2021, June). Tips for collecting self-recordings on smartphones. Special Session on Methods and Examples of Speech Studies Remotely Conducted, Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Online. [slides] [lay summary]
• Freeman, V. (2021, March). Remote audio and video collection during the pandemic and beyond. Guest lecture, R. Smiljanic’s Research in Phonetics/Phonology graduate seminar and discussion group, University of Texas at Austin/Online. 
• Freeman, V., De Decker, P., & *Landers, M. (2020, December). Suitability of self-recordings and video calls: Vowel formants and nasal spectra.  Poster, Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Chicago/Online. [abstract]. Also presented to the University of Washington Linguistic Phonetics Lab, Seattle/Online. 
  
  

Deaf Experience, Deaf Expression (DXDX)

Current work, Sociophonetics Lab, Oklahoma State University
This long-term project aims to better understand how social and linguistic experiences affect the social and emotional well-being of young people with hearing loss.​​  The end goal will be to create a publicly-available audio-video collection of interviews and conversations with all types of people with hearing loss (all ages, speakers and signers, deaf and hard-of-hearing, with early or age-related hearing loss, who use cochlear implants or hearing aids - or not). I was awarded a seed grant to begin interviews with adults with early severe hearing loss, and then a community engagement grant to expand to teens and their parents.  In addition to providing researchers with information and samples of deaf/HH communication, I hope the collection will be useful for parents and educators to have first-hand accounts of the possible outcomes of the tough decisions they have to make about deaf children's communication and education. 
​Updates:
​     2023: We are now conducting Zoom interviews with adults and kids with hearing loss (age 10+), parents/siblings/friends of people with hearing loss, and related professionals (interpreters, audiologists, educators, social workers, etc.). Contact me if you're interested!

Papers & Selected Presentations (*student author):

• *Meyer, T. & Freeman, V. (2022, September). Situational loss of communication for individuals with hearing loss. Poster, Oklahoma Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSHA), Norman, OK.
• *Smith, B., *Vang, M., & Freeman, V. (2022, September). Building the Deaf Experience/Deaf Expression (DXDX) Project. Poster, Oklahoma Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSHA), Norman, OK.
• Freeman, V., *Pearson, M., *Smith, B., *Pascale, E., *Fitzsimons, T., *Pascual, L., *Patterson, L., & *Unkefer, C. (2021, November). Introducing the Deaf Experience/Deaf Expression (DXDX) Project. Poster, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Washington, DC/Online.  [audio tour]
• *Pearson, M. (2021). A multifactor comparison of pragmatics, social relationships, and discrimination among individuals with hearing loss. Master's thesis, Oklahoma State University. Also presented at the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention, Online. [slides]
• See all our presentations here, including state, local, student, and invited venues.​

​Funding (OSU College of Arts & Sciences):

• Advancing Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (AURCA) awards, 2021–23
• Community Engagement Grants, 2022–23 & 2021–22
• Seed Grant, 2020–21

See the project website for details: dxdx.okstate.edu

• Follow us @sophonokstate on Facebook and Instagram

Judgments of Cochlear Implant Users' Personalities

Ongoing work, Sociophonetics Lab, Oklahoma State University
Postdoctoral work, Speech Research Lab, Indiana University
This ongoing project examines how speech intelligibility and 'deaf speech quality' affect typically-hearing peers' first impressions of CI users' personalities, particularly in areas that may affect their desire to make friends with the CI user. In the current phase, college students listen to speech samples without knowing that some talkers are deaf.  In the first study, listeners rated CI users more negatively than typically-hearing talkers, with less-intelligible CI users rated more negatively than highly-intelligible CI users.  In the second study, listeners with more positive attitudes toward deafness rated the less-intelligible CI users more positively.  Future studies will extend the procedures to younger ages and examine the effects of education about deafness on listeners' attitudes and ratings.

• Freeman, V. (2022). Employers’ speech-based first impressions of cochlear implant users. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enac038.
• Freeman, V. (2018). Attitudes toward deafness affect speech-based first impressions of young adults with cochlear implants. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 23(4), 360-368. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/deafed/eny026.
• Freeman, V. (2018). Speech intelligibility and personality peer-ratings of young adults with cochlear implants.  Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 23(1), 41-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enx033.​

Presentations

• Freeman V. (2022, November). Employers’ judgments of cochlear implant users. Poster, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), New Orleans, LA.
• ​Freeman, V. (2019, November). Speech intelligibility, deaf speech quality, and personality ratings. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Orlando, FL.

​Speech Intelligibility of Cochlear Implant Users

Postdoctoral work, Speech Research Lab, Indiana University
In recent work, I investigated effects of speech intelligibility (how well one's speech is understood by others) on other linguistic and social aspects of life for deaf people with cochlear implants (CIs).  In one study, children with CIs who were harder to understand had more trouble than hearing peers in areas of psychosocial functioning like adaptability, attention problems, withdrawal, and atypical behavior.  ​​In another study, speech rate-matching (rapid adjustment to an interlocutor's speech rate) was correlated with intelligibility among CI users from preschool through young adulthood.  

• Freeman, V., & Pisoni, D. (2017). Speech rate, speech rate-matching, and intelligibility in early-implanted cochlear implant users. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 142(2), 1043-1054. http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4998590.
• Freeman, V., Pisoni, D., Kronenberger, W. G., & Castellanos, I. (2017). Speech intelligibility and psychosocial functioning in deaf children and teens with cochlear implants.  Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22(3), 278-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enx001.

Presentations

• Freeman, V., & Pisoni, D. (2017, January). Speech rate, rate-matching, and intelligibility: Evidence from cochlear implant users.  Poster, Linguistic Society of America (LSA), Austin, TX.
• Freeman, V. (2016, November). Psychosocial impacts for less-intelligible cochlear implant users. Communication Sciences and Disorders Colloquium, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.

Oklahoma English and Country Accents

Current work, Sociophonetics Lab, Oklahoma State University
What is a country accent?  Do Oklahomans sound Southern?  Midwestern?  This project  investigates Oklahoma dialect features and how Oklahomans describe and relate to them.  I'm currently looking at descriptions, imitations, and perceptions of "country" speech and how it compares to Southern accents.  Data collection is ongoing, so check the lab website each semester for news.  Contact me if you're an Oklahoman who'd like to participate!

• Freeman, V. & *Landers, M. (2023). Possible back prelateral mergers in Oklahoma. Proceedings of the International Congress on Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS), Prague, Czech Republic, Aug. 7–11. [paper]
  
• *Landers, M. (2022). Rootedness and pre-lateral mergers in Oklahoma. Master's thesis, Oklahoma State University.

​Presentations  (*student author)

• Freeman, V. & *Landers, M. (2021, October). Back prelateral mergers in Oklahoma: Variation in production. Poster, New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV), Online. 
• Freeman, V. & *Landers, M. (2020, September). Pre-lateral mergers in Oklahoma. Linguistic Association of the Southwest (LASSO), Online.
• *Haddad, Z. & Freeman, V. (2020, September). Oklahoma voices in the workplace: The effect of Southern features on employability. Linguistic Association of the Southwest (LASSO), Online.
• Freeman, V. & *Curran, J. (2020, January). “Is Country the same as Southern?” Characterizing the Oklahoma Country accent via imitations. Poster, American Dialect Society (ADS) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• *Curran, J. & Freeman, V. (2019, November). Country or Southern: Does it even matter? Language and Linguistics Student Conference (LLSC), Edmond, OK.

Prevelar Raising and Merger in Pacific Northwest English
Bag ~ Beg ~ Bagel

Continuing & graduate work, University of Washington
In the Northwest, "egg" often rhymes with "vague," and some people say "bag" the same way, too.  This merger (collapsing of sound categories) affects these three front vowel sounds /æ, ɛ, e/ before voiced velar consonants /ɡ, ŋ/ ("hard-G" and "NG").  In the sociolinguistic interviews I conducted for the Pacific Northwest English Project, young adults were less likely to pronounce "tag, bag, lag" like "beg."  In another study, I recorded people in a formal lab setting, where many pronounced the sounds as different -- like the vowels in "bat, bet, bait."  In a perception study, young adults categorized all three vowel sounds as merged, but older people did not.  These patterns suggest that /æ, ɛ, e/ before /ɡ/ have become more merged over the generations, but merger is not as acceptable in formal settings, and young people may be avoiding it.    

• Freeman, V. (2023). Production and perception of prevelar merger: Two-dimensional comparisons using Pillai scores and confusion matrices. Journal of Phonetics, 97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2023.101213
• Freeman, V. (2021). Vague eggs and tags: Prevelar merger in Seattle. Language Variation and Change, 33(1), 57-80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954394521000028. 
• Freeman, V. (2019). Prevelar merger in production vs. perception.  Proceedings of the International Congress on Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS), Melbourne, Australia.
• Freeman, V. (2015). Perceptual distribution of merging phonemes. Proceedings of the 41st Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (BLS 41), Berkeley, CA. [slides]
• Freeman, V. (2014). Bag, beg, bagel: Prevelar raising and merger in Pacific Northwest English. University of Washington Working Papers in Linguistics, 32. Seattle, WA: Linguistics Society at the University of Washington. 

Presentations

• Freeman, V. (2016, September). Style-shifting of prevelar merger more sensitive to setting than task. Experimental Approaches to Perception and Production of Language Variation (ExApp), Vienna, Austria. 
• Freeman, V. (2015, January). The prevelar vowel system in Seattle. Poster, American Dialect Society (ADS), Portland, OR.
• Freeman, V. (2014, October). Bag, beg, bagel: Prevelar raising and merger in Seattle Caucasians. New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV 43), Chicago, IL.
• Freeman, V. (2014, March). Social differentiation of bag-raising in Seattle Caucasians. Cascadia Workshop in Sociolinguistics (CWSL 1), Victoria, BC.

Phonetics of Stance

Dissertation & graduate work, University of Washington
​My dissertation identified prosodic features (pitch, intensity, speaking rate) that signal certain types of stances (attitudes/opinions). For example, positive stances were delivered more slowly, encouragement more loudly, and agreement with a low, soft pitch.
     ​During this project, I worked with computational linguists to write an NSF grant called ATAROS (Automatic Tagging and Recognition of Stance, PIs Gina-Anne Levow, Richard Wright, Mari Ostendorf).  ​For our data set, I recorded a corpus of dyads engaged in collaborative tasks that I designed to elicit different types of stances in a laboratory sound booth.
     My master's work examined stance-taking on a political talk show and found that stronger opinions were hyperarticulated (exaggerated in pronunciation). 

• Freeman, V. (2019). Prosodic features of stances in conversation. Laboratory Phonology, 10(1), 19. doi: 10.5334/labphon.163
• Freeman, V., Levow, G.-A., Wright, R., & Ostendorf, M. (2015). Investigating the role of 'yeah' in stance-dense conversation. Proceedings of INTERSPEECH 2015, Dresden, Germany (pp. 3076-3080). 
• Freeman, V. (2015). The phonetics of stance-taking. Doctoral dissertation. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.
• Levow, G.-A., Freeman, V., Hrynkevich, A., Ostendorf, M., Wright, R., Chan, J., Luan, Y., & Tran, T. (2014). Recognition of stance strength and polarity in spontaneous speech. Proceedings of the 5th IEEE Workshop on Spoken Language Technology (SLT 2014), South Lake Tahoe, NV (pp. 236  -241). 
• Freeman, V., Chan, J., Levow, G.-A., Wright, R., Ostendorf, M., & Zayats, V. (2014). Manipulating stance and involvement using collaborative tasks: An exploratory comparison. Proceedings of INTERSPEECH 2014, Singapore (pp. 2238-2242).
• Freeman, V. (2014). Hyperarticulation as a signal of stance. Journal of Phonetics, 45, 1-11.  doi:10.1016/j.wocn.2014.03.002.

Presentations

• Freeman, V. (2016, January). Prosodic features of stance strength and polarity. Linguistics Society of America (LSA), Washington, DC.
• Freeman, V. (2015, November). Prosodic features of stance acts. Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Jacksonville, FL.
• Freeman, V. (2015, October). Exploring task and gender effects on stance-taking in a collaborative conversational corpus. New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV 44), Toronto, ON. 
• Freeman, V., Wright, R., & Levow, G.-A. (2015, January). The prosody of negative ‘yeah.’ LSA Annual Meeting Extended Abstracts, 6,  Portland, OR. [poster]