His main research foci are on the role of experience with the native language on shaping the perception of speech, and on testing and further developing the predictions of the highly influential Perceptual Assimilation Model for Second Language Speech Learning (PAM-⁠L2), which he developed alongside his long-⁠time collaborator, Prof. Catherine Best. With his students and collaborators, Associate Professor Tyler also investigates word segmentation in infants and adults, the development of speech perception in infants and toddlers, and the effects of bilingualism on cognition.