Bao Zhiming is a linguist whose research aims to bridge theoretical inquiry and real-world impact. After earning his graduation certificate in English from Fudan University and his PhD in linguistics from MIT, he taught at Fudan University, University of Wisconsin, and St Mary’s College of Maryland before joining the National University of Singapore in 1993. Bao’s first academic papers, published in Philosophy East and West and Journal of Chinese Philosophy, explored the concept of language in Chinese antiquity and problems of translation in ancient texts. In linguistics, he has published widely, in major generalist journals (Linguistic Inquiry, Language, Journal of Linguistics), specialized journals (Language in Society, Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages, World Englishes), and Chinese journals (《外语教学与研究》，《语言学论丛》，《语言科学》). His books are published by the Oxford University Press, the Cambridge University Press, and the Chinese Social Science Press.

Over the past decade, Bao’s research has taken a rewarding turn towards clinical linguistics. Working with colleagues at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Bao and his team use the analytical tools of linguistics to search for linguistic markers of dementia, a pressing medical and social challenge in today’s aging society world-wide. This multidisciplinary work, supported by more than 5 million yuan in grants from Singapore’s Ministry of Education and A*Star, has yielded highly original findings published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, the journal of the American Alzheimer’s Association. Recently, Bao and his team won a highly competitive Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award from Singapore’s Ministry of Health and America’s National Academy of Medicine to advance research in the linguistics of Alzheimer’s disease.

Some of Bao’s publications:

Chinese Philosophy

- Bao, Z. 1987. Abstraction, ming-shi and problems of translation. Journal of Chinese Philosophy 14.419-444.

- Bao, Z. 1990. Language and world view in ancient China. Philosophy East and West 40.195-219.

Theoretical Linguistics

- Bao, Z. 1990. Fanqie languages and reduplication. Linguistic Inquiry 21(3).317-350.

- Bao, Z. 1999. Tonal contour and register harmony in Chaozhou. Linguistic Inquiry 30.485-493.

- Bao, Z. 2003. Tone, accent, and stress in Chinese. Journal of Linguistics 39.147-166.

- 包智明。2005。方言接触对变调语法的影响。《语言学论丛》31.22-47。

- 包智明。2008。说“道”。《语言科学》 2008(1)。

Contact Linguistics

- Bao, Z. 1995. Already in Singapore English. World Englishes 14.181-188.

- Bao, Z. 2001. The origin of empty categories in Singapore English. Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 16.1-45.

- Bao, Z. 2003. Social stigma and grammatical autonomy in nonnative varieties of English. Language in Society 32.23-46.

- 包智明。2003。新加坡英语的几个语法特点。《外语教学与研究》35.20-25。

- Bao, Z. 2005. The aspectual system of Singapore English and the systemic substratist explanation. Journal of Linguistics 41.237-267.

- Bao, Z. 2010. A usage-based approach to substratum transfer: the case of four unproductive features in Singapore English. Language 86.792-821.

- Bao, Z. 2012. Substratum transfer targets grammatical system. Journal of Linguistics 48.479-482.

- Lin, L. et al. 2022. Tagging Singapore English. World Englishes 2022: 1-18.

- Huang, N. et al. 2025. Treebanks and World Englishes: a Singapore English perspective. English World Wide 46(1).93-121.

Clinical Linguistics

- Cao, L. et a. 2024. Reversal of the concreteness effect can be detected in the natural speech of older adults with amnestic, but not non-amnestic, mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2024;16:e12588. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12588