The Phonetics Laboratory: rethinking scientific centres and peripheries in the 20th century

Speech recognition and synthesis technology is ubiquitous in today's society and Experimental Phonetics provides the basis for the development of these technologies. Speech control systems used in mobile phones, digital dictionaries, websites adapted for users with visual impairments and distance education are examples of new interfaces for communication between humans and machines developed thanks to essential work in the field of Experimental Phonetics. In addition to applications for language teaching, Experimental Phonetics involves the study of the neuronal, physiological and acoustic-articulatory processes involved in speech production, as well as the auditory, neuronal and psychological components of speech perception, thus laying the scientific foundations for current technological development. On the basis of this in-depth knowledge of processes of articulatory control, and the acquisition of the mother tongue in the first years of infancy, Experimental Phonetics also provides the foundations for the treatment of various types of speech impediments, as well as strategies for the rehabilitation of sufferers from aphasia. At the same time, the overriding importance of the discipline stands in stark contrast with the ignorance of its history at the international level. Unlike linguistics, which has a long historiographical tradition, the evolution of the understanding of the sounds of human speech has been assigned little importance by phoneticians and science historians, the evolution of its theories, techniques, instruments and institutions being virtually ignored, and many actors in the field forgotten. The aim of PHONLAB is to promote knowledge about the development of Experimental Phonetics, bringing the field into the mainstream of History of Science research. We will conduct a case study of the Coimbra Phonetics Laboratory (1936-1979). Created by Portuguese phonetician Armando de Lacerda (1902-1984), the laboratory attracted scientists from leading universities such as Harvard, Cambridge and the Sorbonne, who sought specialist training in the use of innovative laboratory research techniques, absent from other laboratories around the world. How is it that in a country regarded as being scientifically backward there was a laboratory with a reputation as the most advanced in Europe in the mid-20th century? What factors contributed to attracting scientists to the European periphery? How is it that it attracted researchers from the world's scientific centres? Who were the scientists who underwent specialist training in Experimental Phonetics at Coimbra? What research did they carry out there and how did it affect their careers? What impact did the work of the laboratory have on society? What influence did the innovative techniques and instruments used there have in the field? How far did the development of the polychromograph by Lacerda in 1932 contribute to current speech recognition and speech synthesis technology? The aim of PHONLAB is to contribute to increasing our knowledge of a crucially important but neglected global history topic. We seek to produce a biography of the laboratory, identifying and documenting methods, instruments and techniques, providing recognition for its actors and the scientific networks it was part of. The aim is thus to provide an understanding of the scientific and social impact of the laboratory at the global level. The relevance of this project also derives from the fact that numerous unique historical sources that document the work of this laboratory and portray the evolution of Experimental Phonetics throughout the 20th century are in a poor condition and may be lost. A range of documentary and material sources have been found at the University of Coimbra and a number of archives in Europe, the USA, South America, and Australia. Phoneticians who trained at the laboratory have been identified, and it is vital that their testimony be preserved. The analysis of these historical sources will enable us to understand the nature and impact of scientific practices at the laboratory, and could serve as the basis for a comparison with studies of other laboratories in this and other fields of knowledge. This project will contribute to the enhancement of a range of scientific sources that will later be made available to the public at museums and to the scientific community through publications and a digital Experimental Phonetics archive. By opening up new perspectives in the History of Experimental Phonetics in the 20th century, PHONLAB research will enrich historical narratives and contribute to the reassessment of traditional dichotomies such as that of the ‘creative centre’ versus the ‘passive periphery’. Rediscovering early developments in the field of Experimental Phonetics may have a positive impact on our current understanding of Phonetics and potentially lead to new progress in the field.