Yanyu Li
I am at the end of my PhD in the department of Speech and Language Sciences (SLS) at Newcastle University (UK). Currently, I am also covering the lectures on Advanced Statistics for SLS Stage 3 Research Methods. I completed my PhD thesis in October 2025, investigating the relationship between acoustic cues and phonetic learning in adult second language (L2) acquisition. Specifically, I tested the effect of a cue-weighting-approach intervention in the perceptual learning of non-native lexical tones based on selective attention theories.
More broadly, I am interested in understanding how human brains decode the rich and complex speech signals to access information. For example, how are acoustic signals from different speakers in various contexts perceived and processed by the brain as meaningful units, such as speech sounds or emotion? What are the relationships between these diverse acoustic dimensions —— are some weighted more than others for effective processing? If there is an underlying rule for cue weighting, is it relatively stable across different tasks, stages, and conditions? What factors contribute to this rule, and how does it affect learning and other life applications such as in medical treatment and aging?
I have a real passion in using experimental and quantitative methods, including both behavioural and neurological methods. I also encourage open and reproducible research workflow.
Read more in my CV here
Research interests
My work investigates the role of acoustic cues in speech perception, emotion perception. I focus on:
- Speech perception
- Second Language (L2) acquisitioin
- Emotional prosody
- Experimental psychology
Education
DPhil in Speech and Language Sciences, 2021-2025 Newcastle University
MA (Distinction) in Linguistics, 2019-2020 The University of Manchester
BA Hons in English Literature and Language, 2015-2019 Donghua University
Exchange programme, Lingnan University, HK, 2018 Lingnan University, HK