About me
Hi! My name is Sherry Yong Chen, and I’m a linguist.
My academic pursuits have taken me to various places around the world: I received a BA in General Linguistics from the University of Hong Kong (2012-2015) and spent a semester at the University of Melbourne (Fall 2013). Having recently completed an MPhil in General Linguistics at the University of Oxford (2015-2017), I will be starting a PhD in Linguistics at MIT as a Presidential Fellow.
I hail from a tiny little town called Longyou (southeastern China), known for some mysterious grottoes that are thought to date back at least 2,000 years.
As a linguist……
My research focuses on theoretical and experimental syntax/semantics/pragmatics.
More broadly speaking, questions that interest me include: How are meanings composed in human language? What is the mapping between form and meaning, and how is this relationship computed in real time? To address these questions, I adopt a formal approach in my theoretical work, and make extensive use of behavioral techniques, from (speeded) acceptability judgements, self-paced reading, to eye movements.
When I’m not thinking about linguistics……
Sometimes I translate TED talks and manage a website called Publishing Insights. My other quirky hobbies include running a studyblr where I (pretend to be a teenager and) post/reblog study diaries, and playing this little literary game called Quote Domino. Oh and I love platypus!
My favourite book: Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter.
