EDUCATION
2014 PhD, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
2011 LSA summer institute, University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, CO
2009 MA, Data Processing, Phonetics, English, University of Cologne
Cologne, Germany
2007 BA, English & German, Minsk State Linguistic University,
Minsk, Belarus
PUBLICATIONS
Fedzechkina, M., Newport, E.L., & Jaeger T.F. (in prep). The miniature artificial language learning paradigm as a complement to typological data.
Fedzechkina, M., Newport, E.L., & Jaeger T.F. (under review). Balancing effort and information transmission during language acquisition: Evidence from word order and case-marking.
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2013). Communicative biases shape structures of newly acquired languages. Proceedings of CogSci 2013. [pdf]
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2012). Language learners restructure their input to facilitate efficient communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [pdf]
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2011). Functional biases in language learning: Evidence from word order and case-marking interaction. Proceedings of CogSci 2011. [pdf]
CONFERENCE TALKS
Fedzechkina, M., Newport, E., Jaeger, T. F. (2014). The miniature artificial language learning paradigm as a complement to typological data. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics 2014, Washington, DC, March 14-16, 2014.
Fedzechkina, M., Newport, E., Jaeger, T. F. (2014). Functional biases in acquisition shape cross-linguistically frequent structures. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics 2014, Washington, DC, March 14-16, 2014.
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger, T. F., Newport, E. (2013). Communicative biases shape structures of newly acquired languages. 35th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Berlin, Germany, July 31-August 3, 2013.
Jaeger, T. F., Fedzechkina, M., Kurumada, C., Newport, E. (2012). Confusability reduction in production and acquisition. DGfS 2012 workshop ‘Information Density and Linguistic Variation’, Frankfurt, Germany, March 9, 2012.
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger, T. F., Newport, E. (2011). Functional biases in language learning: Evidence from word order and case-marking interaction. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Boston, MA, July 20-23, 2011.
2014. Communication shapes structures of newly acquired languages. Department of Linguistics, University at Buffalo -- SUNY, Buffalo, NY, January 27, 2014.
2013. Learners’ communicative preferences shape structures of newly acquired languages. Language and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, November 18, 2013.
2013. Learners’ communicative preferences shape structures of newly acquired languages. Language Development and Language Processing Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, May 15, 2013.
2011. Are there functional biases in language acquisition? Cognitive and Computational Approaches to Language Group, Department of Linguistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, January 10, 2011.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
MARYIA (MASHA) FEDZECHKINA
INVITED TALKS
CONFERENCE POSTERS
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger, T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2014). Language processing shapes language change: Redundant cues are less likely to be maintained in language. 27th Annual CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing, Columbus, OH, March 13-15. [poster]
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2011). Functional biases in acquisition: Language learners restructure the input to reduce uncertainty. 36th Annual Meeting of the Boston University Conference on Language Development, Boston, MA, November 4-6, 2011. [poster]
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2011). Functional biases in (artificial) language learning. 24th Annual CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing, Stanford, CA, March 24-26. [poster]
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2011). Word order and case-marking in language acquisition and processing. 85th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA, January 6-9, 2011. [poster]
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2014 - present NIH Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Advisers: John Trueswell & Lila Gleitman
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2009 - 2014 Graduate Student
Brain & Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
Advisers: T. Florian Jaeger & Lissa Newport
2006 - 2009 Research Assistant, University of Cologne
Cologne, Germany
Adviser: Juergen Rolshoven
Fedzechkina, M., Jaeger T.F., & Newport, E.L. (2012). Language learners restructure their input to facilitate efficient communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [pdf]
Covered in:
ScienceOmega -- ‘Language learning balances clarity and effort’
Psychcentral -- ‘Language mirrors brain’s desire for clarity’
Futurity -- ‘To be clear, brain tweaks language’
University of Rochester -- ‘Language is shaped by brain’s desire for clarity and ease’
Georgetown University -- ‘PNAS study: language structure arises from balance of clear and effective communication’
MEDIA COVERAGE
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2011 Paula Menyuk Travel Award for BUCLD 2011
2011 LSA summer institute fellowship
2007-2009 Koelner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds, Cologne, Germany
Scholarship for academic excellence
2007 University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Tuition waver
2000-2004 Minsk State Linguistic University, Minsk, Belarus
Scholarship for academic excellence
Teaching assistant:
Spring 2013 Language Development (BCS 259)
Instructor: Susan Thompson
Gave 3 guest lectures on syntactic development and critical periods in language
acquisition, wrote and graded exams, graded homework assignments,
planned & held review sessions, held weekly office hours
Fall 2011 Language and Psycholinguistics (BCS 152)
Instructor: Florian Jaeger
Gave a guest lecture on child sentence processing, wrote and graded weekly
assignments, graded exams, planned & held review sessions,
held weekly office hours
Fall 2010 Language and Psycholinguistics (BCS 152)
Instructor: Patricia Reeder
Gave a guest lecture on child sentence processing, planned & held review
sessions, graded exams & papers, held weekly office hours
Spring 2010 Language Development (BCS 259)
Instructor: Sara Finley
Wrote & graded exams, held weekly office hours
Guest lecturer:
Fall 2012 Language and Psycholinguistics (BCS 152)
Topic: Child sentence processing
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Ad-hoc reviewer:
Language, Cognition, & Neuroscience
Wiley Interdisciplinary Review: Cognitive Science