Predicting code-switches from phonetic information: The discourse marker like in Spanish-English code-switching

Abstract

The present study investigated whether Spanish-English bilinguals (L1 Spanish, English dominant) use phonetic cues to anticipate code-switches. Listeners were presented with four sets of 10 utterances. In a given set all utterances began in English or Spanish. All utterances included the discourse marker like. In each set, half of the utterances continued in the same language after like and half switched languages after like. Listeners only heard up to and including like. Listeners evenly sorted the utterances into two columns, “continues in English” or “continues in Spanish,” to indicate which five utterances involved code-switching. Half of listeners received instructions in English and half in Spanish. Both sets of listeners were significantly above chance for stimuli beginning in English [p < 0.05]. Listeners who received Spanish instructions were also trending above chance for stimuli beginning in Spanish [p = 0.08]. This suggests listeners can use phonetic cues to anticipate switches from their dominant to their non-dominant language. Additionally, when language mode is the non-dominant language, listeners can also anticipate switches from their non-dominant to their dominant language. These results support a theory where both languages are somewhat activated at all times, allowing bilinguals to use phonetic cues to anticipate language switches.