Virtual Psycholinguistics Forum (VPF, 心理语言学线上论坛)

A Farewell to the Virtual Psycholinguistics Forum (VPF)

After more than five years of operation, we are officially concluding the Virtual Psycholinguistics Forum (VPF). This marks the end of an initiative that has been close to our hearts, one that emerged out of necessity during challenging times and grew into a vibrant platform for academic exchange in psycholinguistics.

The VPF was established in April 2021, during the global lockdown that severely disrupted in-person academic communication. At that time, CUHK had already adopted Zoom for virtual teaching, and I found myself contemplating how to reconnect with the academic community in this new virtual world. I initially thought of inviting my friend, psycholinguist Aine Ito, to give an online talk to my lab, just to foster some form of academic dialogue. Then, it struck me: since the talk would be virtual, why not open it to a broader audience? That simple idea laid the foundation for what would become the VPF.

I reached out to my friend Xin Wang, who was (and still is) based in Sydney, Australia, and in a similar time zone. Xin immediately embraced the idea, and together, we officially launched the VPF on 7 April 2021, with Aine as our inaugural speaker. With Aine’s kind consent, her talk (and in fact most of the talks in the forum) was recorded and made available for later viewing on the VPF site.

From there, Xin and I began planning follow-up speakers, and we were fortunate to attract world-renowned psycholinguists like Ted Gibson and Martin Pickering to share their insights with our audience. Initially, the talks were organized on an ad hoc schedule, but over time, we transitioned to a more structured, bi-weekly format and eventually settled on a four-week cycle starting in 2022. Over the years, the VPF continued to evolve, with two key additions: tutorials where we introduced to early-career researchers methodological skills and analytical tools essential for psycholinguistic research, and symposia where we invite a series of speakers to talk on a particular topic (we did one on LLM interpretability). We also expanded the organizing team to include more contributors (Ya-Ning Chang, Qingqing Qu, Cynthia Siew, Denise Hsien Wu, Yaling Hsiao, Aine Ito, Jixing Li, and Hao Yan), which allowed us to share the workload and bring fresh perspectives to the forum.

It’s worth noting that the VPF was run entirely without funding. As organizers, we volunteered our time and effort to invite speakers, who generously gave their talks without any remuneration. We are deeply grateful to CUHK for allowing us to use their Zoom platform and storage facilities, which made this entire endeavor possible.

After more than five years and with more than 80 talks hosted (most of which are available on the forum as recordings), we feel that the VPF has fulfilled its mission. It was conceived as a response to a unique moment in history—a time when the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person academic communication almost impossible. Now that academic life has largely returned to normal, the need for a virtual forum of this nature has diminished. Additionally, many of the organizers, including myself, have exhausted our personal networks and favours to invite speakers to give talks for free. While it is bittersweet to say goodbye to something that has been such an important part of our lives for so many years, we take great pride in what the VPF has accomplished.

The VPF not only supported psycholinguistic communication in East Asia but also contributed to the global academic community, especially during a time when connecting with others felt so difficult. One of our greatest joys came from hearing fellow psycholinguists, especially students, express their gratitude for the forum. Many shared how the VPF helped them learn about the field, sustain their belief in psycholinguistics as a discipline, and stay connected to the academic world during the pandemic. For us, as academics, this heartfelt appreciation is the highest reward we could hope for.

We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who made the VPF possible. Apart from my co-organizers, including Xin Wang, I would especially like to thank Harvey Qiu, Xufeng Duan, and Zebo Xu for their invaluable contributions. We are also deeply grateful to the speakers who generously shared their time and expertise, and to the audience whose enthusiasm and support sustained the forum throughout its run.

As we bring the VPF to a close, we do so with a sense of fulfilment and pride. The forum may no longer continue, but its impact will linger—a testament to the power of collaboration, resilience, and shared passion for knowledge.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

If you are interest in similar forums, there is a forum on computational linguistics (https://xufengduan.github.io/Computational-Neurolinguistics-Forum/).

This forum was proposed in the context of a worldwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We invite psycholinguists to give an online talk or tutorial on a theoretical frontier, experimental findings around a topic, and/or cutting-edge methods, in the area of psychology of language. Talks are given on an ad hoc basis roughly every two four weeks. To participate, please click on one of the following Zoom links.

https://cuhk.zoom.us/j/779556638

https://cuhk.zoom.cn/j/779556638 (mainland China)

With permission from the speaker, we will record the talk for subsequent re-visit. If you have any suggestions/questions, please email zhenguangcai@cuhk.edu.hk.

This forum is organised by a committee consisting of:

  • Zhenguang Cai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
  • Xin Wang (Macquarie University)
  • Ya-Ning Chang (University of Cambridge)
  • Qingqing Qu (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
  • Cynthia Siew (National University of Singapore)
  • Denise Hsien Wu (National Central University)
  • Yaling Hsiao (University of Birmingham)
  • Aine Ito (National University of Singapore)
  • Jixing Li (City University of Hong Kong)
  • Hao Yan (Xi'an International Studies University)

    • We acknowledge the generous support for this forum from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, especially Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Brain and Mind Institute, and the Joint Research Centre for Language and Human Complexity. Also, we maintain a moderated mailing list, where we post talk and other academic information. To SUBSCRIBE, simply send an email (with ‘subscribe’ in the subject line) to: vpf-list-join@listserv.cuhk.edu.hk.

    ***Announcement*** In September/October 2023, VPF will host a symposium on the implications of large language models for language sciences. So fare, we have the following lineup of speakers: Giovanni Cassani (Tilburg University), Kyle Mahowald (University of Texas at Austin), Tal Linzen (New York University), Najoung Kim (Boston University), and Zhenguang Cai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong). Stay tune for more info on this website.

    Talk Schedule (Hong Kong time)

    Past talks/tutorials

    1. 10 September 2025 (15:00–16:30 HK time) 跨语言情感差异及其认知效应 高山 (电子科技大学) Abstract Video recording (password:7@h?vkb2)
    2. 25 April 2025 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Crosslinguistic influence on L2 use of implicit causality information Hyunwoo Kim (Yonsei University) Abstract
    3. 26 March 2025 (16:00–17:30 HK time) Looking ahead: parafoveal processing in reading Yanli Pan (University of Birmingham) Abstract Video recording (password:+T8&0!4M)
    4. 26 Feb 2025 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Are LLMs Good Literature Review Writers? Evaluating the Literature Review Writing Ability of Large Language Models Xuemei Tang (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) Abstract Video recording (password:%zmnx2zc)
    5. 4 Dec 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) ‘Transforming’ the neuroscience of language with multidimensional connectivity metrics for EEG/MEG analysis Olaf Hauk (University of Cambridge) Abstract Video recording (password:j!5g59T$)
    6. 6 Nov 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) 基于多脑同步技术的口译认知神经机制研究 燕浩 (西安外国语大学) Abstract
    7. 9 Oct 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Lexico-syntactic features in language production: The case of gender and classifier processing Niels Schiller (City University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:3kt?yRr9)
    8. 11 Sept 2024 (21:00–22:30 HK time) The Side of the Grass We Kept Trimming Ethan Kutlu (University of Iowa) Abstract Video recording (password:2NU@vd1F)
    9. 14 Aug 2024 (17:00–18:30 HK time) The contribution of episodic memory and subsequent sleep-related consolidation to the updating of lexical knowledge Matthew HC Mak (University of Warwick) Abstract
    10. 17 July 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Semantic transfer in initial L2 word learning Yen Na Cherry,Yum (The Education University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:qZ1PC!px)
    11. 22 May 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Error analysis of consonant production in speech-sound-disordered children in Mandarin I-Ping Wan (National Chengchi University) Abstract Video recording (password:6c#a1^S?)
    12. 24 Apr 2024 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Generative and Item-Specific Knowledge in Multiword Expression Processing Emily Morgan (University of California, Davis) Abstract Video recording (password:Yt9#fQ=!)
    13. 28 Mar 2024 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Meaning composition in LLMs and the human brain Jixing Li (The City University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:7Ka=8AV&)
    14. 31 Jan 2024 (10:00–11:30 HK time) When Hands Speak As Loud as Words: Insights from Gesture and Sign Language Concerning the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Learning Laura Morett (University of Missouri) Abstract Video recording (password:eL^!1.s5)
    15. 29 Nov 2023 (16:00–17:00 HK time) MacBehaviour: An R package for behavioural studies of large language models Xufeng Duan (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Github tutorial Paper Video recording (password:0@H0AmzM)
    16. 1 Nov 2023 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Cracking the pitch code in music and language: A summary of findings from the ERC-funded CAASD project Fang Liu (University of Reading) Abstract Video recording (password:yrv2s!SK)
    17. 4 Oct 2023 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Evidence for abstraction-via-exemplars from lexical category inference in neural language models Najoung Kim (Boston University) Abstract
    18. 27 Sept 2023 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Surprisal does not explain syntactic disambiguation difficulty Tal Linzen (New York University) Abstract Video recording (password:+s91uhk2)
    19. 20 Sept 2023 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Formal and functional competence in large language models Kyle Mahowald (University of Texas at Austin) Abstract Video recording (password:$n6k5JKt)
    20. 13 Sept 2023 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Do large language models resemble humans in language use? Zhenguang Cai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:26#BMnp*)
    21. 6 Sept 2023 (21:00–22:30 HK time) Words alone, words together, not only words, new words Giovanni Cassani (Tilburg University) Abstract Video recording (password:5qp+jNUu)
    22. 12 July 2023 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Distributional models of word meaning – A psycholinguistic overview and practical instruction Fritz Günther (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Abstract Video recording (password:Ekmgh?3A)
    23. 14 June 2023 (16:00–17:30 HK time) The role of figurative language in conveying emotion: insights from neuroscientific research Francesca Citron (Lancaster University) Abstract Video recording (password:=4w95a3a)
    24. 19 May 2023 (20:00–21:30 HK time) The enduring myth of Categorical Perception: A view from its source in Speech Perception Bob McMurray (University of Iowa and Haskins Laboratories) Abstract Video recording (password:5DTtMhj?)
    25. 19 Apr 2023 (20:00–21:30 HK time) Error Prevention in Psychological Research Julia Strand (Carleton College) Abstract Video recording (password:8nmhw.uD)
    26. 22 Mar 2023 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Tonal studies from an interdisciplinary perspective Gang PENG (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) Abstract Video recording (password:M@3CPii#)
    27. 23 Feb 2023 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in language learning Gangyi Feng (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:MN4W.P5c)
    28. 25 Jan 2023 (16:00–17:30 HK time) Evolving phonological networks in second language learners Eva Maria Luef (Charles University, Czech Republic) Abstract Video recording (password:!U*18yR0)
    29. 28 Dec 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) What can statistical learning tell us about reading, and what can reading tell us about statistical learning: Lessons from individual-differences studies Noam Siegelman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Abstract Video recording (password:UT3#$3PX)
    30. 30 Nov 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Historical Psychology from Quantitative Text Analysis Li Ying (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Abstract
    31. 2 Nov 2022 (16:00–17:30 HK time) The role of the linguistic distance between mother-tongue (L1) and second language (L2) in L2 acquisition: evidence from big learner corpora Dora Alexopoulou (University of Cambridge) Abstract Video recording (password: .12z^.jK)
    32. 5 Oct 2022 (14:00–15:30 HK time) How does training variability influence learning and consolidation of lexical tones? Quentin Zhen QIN (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Abstract Video recording (password:9FA^SD5V)
    33. 14 Sept 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Multi-scale neuroimaging on language tone processing Wen-Jui Kuo (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) Abstract Video recording (password:FdBr2ix&)
    34. 10 Aug 2022 (14:00–15:30 HK time) [Tutorial] An Introduction to Network Analysis for Psycholinguists Cynthia Siew (National University of Singapore) Abstract Video recording (password:6sBt2yg@)
    35. 13 July 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Effect of word order asymmetry on the cognitive load of English-Chinese sight translation—Evidence from eye movement data Xingcheng Ma (Southeast University) Abstract Video recording (password:3EM$N!8F)
    36. 22 June 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Different insights into bilingual language processing Xin Wang (Macquarie University) Abstract Video recording (password:!k*r%v2E)
    37. 18 May 2022 (16:00–17:30 HK time) Choose your words wisely: the role of semantic and sociolinguistic features in lexical selection Alissa Melinger (University of Dundee) Abstract Video recording (password:6diZK.zy)
    38. 20 Apr 2022 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Structural priming as a tool Zhenguang G. Cai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:b94ohU=9) Slide
    39. 23 Mar 2022 (16:00–17:30 HK time) What do iconic gestures and practical actions communicate to children? Suzanne Aussems (University of Warwick) Abstract Video recording (password:HZ1Kbv5=)
    40. 23 Feb 2022 (16:30–18:00 HK time) Speech sound perception and production: Influence of orthography Clara D. Martin (Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language) Abstract Video recording (password:WhGV&Fk9)
    41. 26 Jan 2022 (20:00–21:30 HK time) When words fail us: The role of structure and process on word retrieval impairments Nichol Castro (University at Buffalo) Abstract Video recording (password:m!6*t?Rr) Slides
    42. 12 Jan 2022 (11:00–12:30 HK time) Representational similarity as a tool in the cognitive science of language Simon Fischer-Baum (Rice University) Abstract
    43. 1 Dec 2021 (16:00–17:30 HK time) Parietal lobe contributions to episodic memory dysfunction: insights from neurodegenerative syndromes Siddharth Ramanan (University of Cambridge) Abstract Video recording (password:&TfpM8?P)
    44. 17 Nov 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) The architecture of the Mandarin phonological mental lexicon Karl David Neergaard (Valdecilla Biomedical Innovation and Research Institute in Santander) Abstract Video recording (password:e!U1Gg0S)
    45. 3 Nov 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) The brain basis of Chinese handwriting: insights from functional and structural MRI Yang Yang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Abstract Video recording (password:8C+kNJcg)
    46. 20 Oct 2021 (16:00–17:30 HK time) Contextual Influences on Multilingual Lexical Access Francesca M. Branzi (University of Liverpool) Abstract Video recording (password:8W.V5eMZ)
    47. 6 Oct 2021 (16:00–17:30 HK time) The language that children hear and read: Implications for language and literacy development Yaling Hsiao (University of Oxford) Abstract
    48. 22 Sep 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Probing the limits of linguistic experience in our theories of language Nick Huang (National University of Singapore) Abstract Video recording (password:X0$u%jK!)
    49. 8 Sep 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Generalising active gap-filling Tim Hunter (Department of Linguistics, UCLA) Abstract Video recording (password:ud+PUk5G)
    50. 25 Aug 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) In Search of a Missing Link: A Brand New Two-Brain Theory of Human Cognition Ovid J. L. Tzeng (Academia Sinica) Abstract Video recording (password:j6PS8W!P)
    51. 11 Aug 2021 (21:00–22:30 HK time) The emergence of grammar from perspective Brian MacWhinney (Carnegie Mellon University) Abstract Video recording (password:QN3&#sNk)
    52. 28 July 2021 (12:00–13:30 HK time) Syntactic Entrainment as a Candidate Mechanism for Learning the Meanings of Syntactic Constructions Victor Ferreira (University of California San Diego) Abstract Video recording (password:Ln^00G?m)
    53. 14 July 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Cognitive, neuroanatomical, and genetic basis of developmental dyslexia Jingjing Zhao (Shaanxi Normal University) Abstract Video recording (password:x2J+NGA2)
    54. 30 June 2021 (15:00–16:30 HK time) Digital Language Learning (DLL): Insights from Behavior, Cognition, and the Brain Ping Li (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) Abstract
    55. 16 June 2021 (12:00–13:30 HK time) Encoding and accessing syntactic structure in memory: Insights from verbal agreement Brian Dillon Maayan Keshev (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) Abstract Video recording (password:@1K$C+E4)
    56. 9 June 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) How permeable are native and non-native syntactic processing to crosslinguistic influence? Holger Hopp (University of Braunschweig) Abstract Video recording (password:$&W4.+?w)
    57. 19 May 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) Temporal dynamics and cognitive mechanisms of language production Qingqing Qu (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Abstract Video recording (password:5A+bU7s3)
    58. 5 May 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) Syntactic blocking: When syntactic representations are not shared across languages Robert J. Hartsuiker (Ghent University) Abstract Video recording (password:%6md59$F)
    59. 21 April 2021 (13:00 –14:30 HK time) What masked form priming tells us about the difference between L1 and L2 lexical processing Marcus Taft (University of New South Wales) Abstract
    60. 24 March 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) Bilingual Brains Brendan Weekes (University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:?*GA0?HH)
    61. 10 March 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) Case and Agreement Attraction in Armenian: Experimental and Computational Investigations Shravan Vasishth (University of Potsdam) Abstract Video recording (password:M!@mfsi0)
    62. 13 January 2021 (15:00 –16:30 HK time) Optical mapping of brain activation during bilingual translation Zhen Yuan (University of Macau) Abstract Video recording (password:UBJ6z$48)
    63. 4 November 2020 (20:00 HK time) How are vocabulary and grammar acquired? Insights from artificial language learning studies Padraic Monaghan (Lancaster University) Abstract Video recording (password:f5#S1e^9)
    64. 28 October 2020 (16:00 HK time) Oral language, reading instruction and literacy development in a computational model of word reading Ya-Ning Chang (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge) Abstract Slide
    65. 7 October 2020 (15:00 HK time) Morphology in Child and Adult Learners’ Spoken Language Comprehension Harald Clahsen (Potsdam Research Institute for Multilingualism, University of Potsdam) Abstract
    66. 23 September 2020 (16:00 HK time) How to obtain evidence for the null hypothesis Zoltan Dienes (University of Sussex) Abstract Video recording (password:a=8%3Em9)
    67. 9 September 2020 (15:00 HK time) CRM: An Integrated Model of Word Processing and Eye-Movement Control During Chinese Reading Xingshan Li (Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Abstract [Slides in English, talk in Chinese] Video recording (password:.sAC1=%K)
    68. 26 August 2020 (11:00 HK time) Associative Memory in Bilinguals Wendy S. Francis (University of Texas at El Paso) Abstract Video recording (password:?tGcK0n=)
    69. 12 August 2020 (15:00 HK time) The proximate units of phonological encoding in Chinese spoken word production Qingfang Zhang (Renmin University of China) Abstract [Talk in Mandarin Chinese] Video recording (password:3.*rR!Gm)
    70. 5 August 2020 (15:00 HK time) [Tutorial] How to do experiments on bilingual word recognition Xin Wang (Macquarie University) Abstract Video recording (password:%8bsWXR&)
    71. 22 July 2020 (15:00 HK time) Neural print tuning in reading and dyslexia: modulation by top-down processes and potential use for evaluating intervention methods Urs Maurer (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:y4*+iT0?)
    72. 8 July 2020 (16:00 HK time) [Tutorial] How to design online experiments using Gorilla/Qualtrics Dave Haslett (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Video recording (password:4j+#^#B6)
    73. 1 July 2020 (16:00 HK time) Quantifying the structure of the mental lexicon using network science Cynthia Siew (National University of Singapore) Abstract Video recording (password:4w&$3^6=)
    74. 24 June 2020 (16:00 HK time) [Tutorial] How to use R for Psycholinguistics Research Max Dunn (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract Materials Video recording (password:8d@0IQ6h)
    75. 17 June 2020 (15:00 HK time) Integration of Information in Reading Patrick Sturt (University of Edinburgh) Abstract Video recording (password:1O%34$88)
    76. 10 June 2020 (16:00 HK time) Understanding dialogue: Language use and social interaction Martin J. Pickering (University of Edinburgh) Abstract Slides Video recording (password:9x^CP29D)
    77. 27 May 2020 (21:00 HK time) Language processing over a noisy channel Edward Gibson (MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences) Abstract Video recording (password:8T&M@0!7)
    78. 20 May 2020 (16:30 HK time) Personalized learning to optimize language outcome Patrick C. M. Wong (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Abstract
    79. 13 May 2020 (16:00 HK time) [Tutorial] How to do mixed-effects models in language research: A practical introduction using R Zhenguang G. Cai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Slides Scripts Video recording (password:0x^646g8)
    80. 20 April 2020 (21:00) Information processing and cross-linguistic universal Edward Gibson (MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences) Slides Video recording (Password: 2j?n?.k4)
    81. 07 April 2020 (13:00) How do people predict language? Aine Ito (University of Tokyo) Slides Video recording (Password: BWr91w)