Talk Title: Word learning in context: Disambiguating the ambiguousAbstract: The pace and breadth of early vocabulary development is impressive to say the least. Infants grow from producing their first words around 12 months to using over 500 words by 2 ½ years. How do infants crack the code to acquire so many words in a relatively short period of time? Our theoretical framework emphasizes the embodied and embedded nature of learning: Infants actively engage with their environments in the presence of socially responsive partners who provide semantically relevant input within a tight time window during highly specific activity contexts. The tight temporal connection between infant action, caregiver speech, and activity context cuts across word classes—nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions—thereby functioning to 'disambiguate the ambiguous'. To illustrate the embodied and embedded nature of infant learning, I present several studies from our lab on infants' exposure to different word classes in the ecologically-valid home environment. We videorecorded infants (12-24 months) and mothers during natural home activities (1 to 2 hours per visit, Ns=30-100). We transcribed interactions and identified all concrete nouns in mothers' speech. We also marked mothers' use of verbs and 'math words'— adjectives and prepositions that refer to numbers, quantities (more, less), spatial relations (under, on top of), shapes, and magnitudes (big, long). Annotations of the timing, behaviors, and contexts of infants' speech exposure revealed several impactful characteristics: (1) Words in mothers' speech contained high regularity in temporal structure. For example, mothers used the same word in a bout of repetition (e.g., dog, dog, dog; up, up, up) and they referenced objects from the same taxonomic category (e.g., animals) within a tight time window (e.g., dog, cat, horse); (2) Mothers provided multimodal input (speech with gesture/touch) that functioned to highlight word meaning; (3) Infants' own actions were a reliable impetus for word exposure (e.g., verbs and spatial terms like walk, jump, down referred to infants' movements through space), and (4) High regularity characterized the activity and location contexts of infants' exposure to particular words (e.g., food nouns and words for magnitudes were frequent during snack time). Notably, characteristics of infants' home experiences and language interactions predicted individual differences in skills across domains—including sustained attention, vocabulary growth, the production of words during interactions, school readiness and academic achievement years later. We discuss implications for theories of word learning and language interventions.Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Tamis-LeMonda during the day or attending dinner in the evening on Friday, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.

This is a great way to earn community service hours! No previous experience is necessary. Remember to dress for outdoor conditions, including warm water-repellant footwear. More details and transportation information available athttps://dining.uconn.edu/spring-valley-farm/volunteer-tour/ (https://dining.uconn.edu/spring-valley-farm/volunteer-tour/)

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

An All Recovery meeting is 'non-denominational' meaning all pathways of recovery are embraced here. A universal recovery topic is chosen and then the group discusses it. It is not affiliated with any "Anonymous" program although you are likely to hear comments associated with 12 step fellowships. Meetings are facilitated by a student member of the URC with support from a Recovery Coach and are held both in-person and online for students from other UConn campuses. 

Soccer played on the law school soccer field.

A Night Filled with Constellations Friday, October 3, 5:30pm-7:00pm Fee: 10 per person (5 per Benton Member) Please join us for a magical night filled with constellations. The evening starts with a private tour of our exhibition Fate & Magic: The Art of Maureen McCabe. We will focus on her assemblages that have constellations prominently featured in them. After our tour, we will walk as a group to the UConn Planetarium for a show highlighting the constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere during the autumn season. Space is very limited so please make your reservation early. Parking on North Eagleville Road is recommended so your vehicle will be next to the Planetarium at the conclusion of the event. We will gather outside the Planetarium at 5:30pm to walk to the Benton as a group. 

Join us at the UConn Rainbow Center (SU 403) on Friday, October 3rd at 6:00 pm for a movie night in collaboration with PRLACC celebrating Latine Heritage Month. We will be screening Problemista (2023), a surrealist comedy-drama following Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who moves to New York City and struggles to realize his dream before his work visa expires. Snacks will be provided!

Saturday, Aug. 23rd Monsters University Thursday, Aug 28th Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Friday, Aug. 29th Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Saturday, Aug. 30th Pirates of hte Caribbean: At World's End Thursday, Sept. 4th Shrek Friday, Sept 5th Shrek 2 Saturday, Sept. 6th Shrek the Third Thursday, Sept. 11th Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Friday, Sept. 12th F1 Saturday, Sept. 13th Superman Thursday, Sept . 18th Batman 1989 Friday, Sept. 19th The Dark Knight Saturday, Sept. 20th The Batman Thursday, Sept. 25th Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Friday, Sept. 26th Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Saturday, Sept. 27th Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Vibrant paintings by Andrea Sanchez and Jaii Marc Renee on display in the Celeste LeWitt Gallery — Join us for a meet and greet from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26.

Enjoy this unique exhibition of rock music memorabilia from the archive of editor, journalist, and radio disc jockey Ken Best. This personal collection features decades worth of iconic photos, album covers, posters and promotional materials that Best has amassed while writing about music for newspapers in New Jersey and Connecticut and interviewing musicians and authors on the radio at WPKN in Bridgeport and WHUS in Storrs. Highlighted will be 50 photos of major rock 'n' roll figures by Connecticut photographer Joseph Sia, including his famous image of Jimi Hendrix at Woolsey Hall in New Haven in 1968, known as "The Shadow," from Best and Sia's 1992 book,Eight Days a Week: An Illustrated Record of Rock 'n' Roll (Pomegranate Books).

17 artists across the UConn community have their artwork on display in our Connector Gallery.

UConn and UConn Health faculty, staff, and students from all disciplines are invited to submit striking research images, graphics, or artwork. Winning entries will be displayed in OVPR spaces, transforming our walls into a gallery that celebrates the creativity and diversity of UConn research.  Showcase the beauty of your research – from stunning microscopy images and bold data visualizations to fieldwork photos and original research-inspired art. Share your work with the UConn community Celebrate the creativity that drives discovery Click here (https://research.uconn.edu/frame-contest/) for contest details and entry form. Deadline: November 10, 2025 Questions: Contact research@uconn.edu (mailto:research@uconn.edu).FRAME: A creative, engaging forum showcasing UConn research.

The exhibiting artists are Marsha Borden, Helena Chastel, Kathryn Frund, Phoebe Godfrey, Hugh MacDonald, Bob Pavlik, Dan Potter, and R. Douglass Rice. Open Air 2025 is open daily and will remain on view through October 6, 2025. June 19, 2025 iis the last day to visit indoor art exhibitions. Exhibitions inside the AVS Gallery will resume on September 11, 2025

FromSept 8 – Oct 20,theWell-Being Indexreturns for a six-week participation window.How to Access: UConn Health Well-Being Index (https://hub.uconnhealth.org/administrative/human-resources/well-being/uconn-health-well-being-index)

First, check out our website: Programs and Challenges (https://hub.uconnhealth.org/administrative/human-resources/well-being/office-of-professional-well-being-engagement/engagement/programs-and-challenges) to learn about the new platform Then, register here: https://www.challengerunner.com/enroll/921bh2-53i8 (https://www.challengerunner.com/enroll/921bh2-53i8)

This course consists of eight online modules that the student can complete independently. An instructor will meet virtually with the students weekly to review each module topic and answer questions. Expect to spend study time reviewing each module topic outside of the review class. A student who completes all the modules, works through the quizzes, and studies the resource materials independently should be able to pass both the written and oral state exam successfully.

View UConn Football's full schedule. (https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/football/schedule)