A New Angle on Lateralization

Co-presented with Feng-fan Hsieh Abstract: This presentation introduces the Lateralization Angle method, a novel approach to quantifying lateralization in speech production, and compares it comprehensively with the established Delta-Height method (Ying et al. 2021). Our proposed method addresses potential limitations by integrating both vertical and horizontal sensor data, as well as Euclidean distances, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of lingual shape and kinematics. We then report that asymmetrical tilting, purported to be a characteristic feature of lateral sounds by Ying et al. (2021), is not consistently observed in the lateral sounds of East Asian languages such as Seoul Korean and Taiwanese Mandarin. We propose that the presence of a lateral channel, as evidenced by the absence of contact between a parasagittal sensor and the (reconstructed) palate, serves as a more reliable indicator of lateralization. Additionally, we discuss other language-specific features of /l/-production in those East Asian languages.