Newcastle University

Introduction

I come from China and live in England. My friends call me "Zeng",not "Biao"("big but stupid"in some north Chinese dialects).I am a psycholinguist and journalist,which means language is my tool to make a living as well as a hobby to live better.My researches cover speech perception,langague development and word recognition. Tone is my most favourite subject at present. I am strongly interested in neuroscience technique,e.g. ERP.

I work in Newcastle University and spend most weekends in Bristol where my family live.

Qualifications

PhD.of Psycholinguistics (2008, University of Bristol, UK)
MSc.of Developmental Psychology (2002, Peking University, China)
B.A. of Chinese Language and Literature (1999, Peking Univeristy,China)

Previous Positions

2008-2009 Postdoc Research Fellow,the School of Psychology, University of Birmingham

Memberships

• Chartered Psychologist, the British Psychological Society
• External fellow,China Policy Institute, Nottingham University
• Membership of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)
• Associate Member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists

Honours and Awards

• Action 2011, Newcastle University, 2011
• Business Plan Competition, Research Council, UK, 2008
• Merit Business Plan, Knowledge West, 2007
• Finalist of University of Bristol New Enterprise Competition 2007
• Overseas Research Studentship, HEFCE, 2003- 2006
• Advanced Certification Holder of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, 2005

Languages

Mandarin
English
Wenzhouese

Informal Interests

Medieval history, English politics,squash, Judo, Tai chi, reading & writing

Research Interests

1) developmental dyslexia and basic perception abilities
2) prosody and tone perception
3) speech production
4) visual and auditory word recognition
5) cost-effectiveness analysis(CEA) on different speech and langauge therapy(SLT) programmes

Other Expertise

1) archaeology and language, i.e. traditional Chinese phonology, Chinese dialects
2) teaching Chinese as a foreign language
3) information and communication technologies (ICT) application in language teaching and learning
4) new media and journlism writing(Chinese)

Current Work

• I am currently working with Prof. James Law in the Better Communication Research Programme (BCRP)

BCRP is a three-year project sponsored by Department of Education (DfE, previous DCSF). The general aim is to promote understanding of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Through this program, we will help policy makers to improve services for these SLCN children and teenagers, especially for who come from a background of social deprivation.

I am working in two streams. First, I do cost-effectiveness analysis on different intervention models, e.g. clinic-based, family-based

• Migration Paradigm: a method to invesitgate tone representation and processing (2011-2012)

This is a project sponsored by Faculty Research Fund, Newcastle University.  It applies migration paradigm in the study of lexical pitch, or tone perception. The project aims to provide empirical evidence to examine autosegmental theory (Goldsmith, 1979) and compare native English and Chinese speakers’ perceptual difference on tone.  

Future Research

I am developing some potential projects with Prof. James Law within BCRP.

Meanwhile,I plan a research plan on tone perception. It contains two possible routines:
1) using ERP (event-related potential) to exam time course of tone perception
2) developing a potential SLT prevention and intervention with pitch perception.

If you are working in the fields as neuroscience, SLT or speech perception, I would be very interested to discuss my ideas with you and seek any potential cooperation.

Research Roles

Research associate for BCRP

Industrial Relevance

I am active in knowledge transfer partnership (KTP), especially through applying new media technologies to speech and language learning.

In 2007 I proposed TalkTone, an online Chinese learning system. It was awarded by University of Bristol and Knowledge West, a regional KTP body. Between 2007 and 2008, TalkTone was incubated at University of Bristol and shortlisted by Research Council UK (RCUK).

Undergraduate Teaching

SPE1006 Research Methods (Year 1) 

SPE2011 Reseach Methods (Year 2)

• Zeng B, Law J, Lindsay G. Characterizing optimal intervention intensity: The relationship between dosage and effect size in interventions for children with developmental speech and language difficulties. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 2012, 14(5), 471-477.
• Law J, Zeng B, Lindsay G, Beecham J. Cost-effectiveness of interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN): a review using the Drummond and Jefferson (1996) ‘Referee's Checklist’. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 2012, 47(1), 1-10.
• Beecham J, Law J, Zeng B, Lindsay G. Costing children's speech, language and communication interventions. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 2012, 47(5), 477-486.
• Zeng B, Law J. An evidence-programme synthesis search engine for children with Speech Language and Communication Needs. In: 6th European Congress on Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence. 2011, Bologna, Italy.
• Meng X, Lai CA, Zeng B, Stein J, Zhou X. Dynamic visual perception and reading development in Chinese school children. Annals of Dyslexia 2011, 61(2), 161-176.
• Zeng B, Mattys S. Separability of tones and rhymes in Chinese speech perception: evidence from perceptual migration. In: 17th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences. 2011, Hong Kong, China: ICPhS.