Bilinguals In Order Research Articles

On the Relationship Between Bilingualism and Mathematical Performance: A Systematic Review

As part of the demands of a globalized and interconnected world, studying second languages has become a major priority. Bilingual programs implemented in recent decades have motivated an educational strategy in which content area courses are taught through L2. The potential costs of this strategy in academic performance are debated, especially in challenging areas such as mathematics. The present work systematically reviewed 71 papers based on experiments measuring mathematics performance in bilinguals in order to establish if bilinguals show a (dis)advantage in mathematics compared to monolinguals. The results of a total of 305,136 participants (57,703 bilinguals and 247,503 monolinguals) show that bilingualism does not seem to affect mathematical performance, but this is dependent on whether subjects are highly proficient bilinguals. This type of bilingual may only be affected by lower reaction times depending on the testing language. On the other hand, low language proficiency negatively impacts mathematical performance. Lastly, bilingualism enhances mathematical encoding and processes in non-language-related tasks.

The Method of Application of Mini-corposes for the Analysis of Language Variation of Etiquetial Expressions in Bilingual Language Situations in the Sociolinguistic Aspect.

The author examines the process of creating and methodology of applying the mini-corps to solve the problems in the field of language choice learning in the sphere of speech etiquette. The different stages of compiling a mini-corps from the peculiarities of material collection to the construction of theoretical models of language use of speech etiquette are considered. The terminological apparatus of the study is introduced. The features of different methods are compared and the need for a comprehensive approach to compiling a mini-corpus is substantiated. The shortage of corpora for the study of language choice in a bilingual situation is stated. Advantages and disadvantages of the chosen methodology are described. In particular, the necessity of selecting authentic examples of spontaneous speech taken from videos based on the method of non-included observation is pointed out. The place of the mini-corpus technique in the set of methods used in this study is shown. The result is a corpus-based description of the algorithms of speakers' use of etiquette expressions in a particular language under the influence of various configurations of factors and parameters of the social context. It is concluded that this method allows, on the one hand, to obtain the necessary and sufficient material for the analysis, on the other hand, it does not involve the use and processing of a large array of data. The prospect of researching the method is to apply it in other situations of bilingualism in order to complement and correct the theoretical models obtained in the course of the study. Thus, the method of compiling bilingual mini-corps makes it possible to reach the level of generalization of linguistic facts, sufficient to build universal models for interpreting the patterns of language choice of etiquette expressions in bilingualism.

L2 acquisition and L1 attrition of VOTs of voiceless plosives in highly proficient late bilinguals

While much research has examined second language (L2) phonetic acquisition, less research has examined first language (L1) attrition in terms of the voice onset time (VOT) of voiceless stops. The current study examined L2 acquisition and L1 attrition in the VOT of word-initial voiceless stops among late English–Arabic and Arabic–English bilinguals in order to explore the role of phonetic similarity in L2 acquisition and L1 attrition of speech. The study included 60 participants: 15 monolingual Arabic speakers, 15 monolingual English speakers, 15 English–Arabic bilinguals and 15 Arabic–English bilinguals. The bilinguals had been living in their L2 environment for more than 15 years. The participants narrated two cartoons in Arabic and/or three in English. The monolingual groups’ results revealed clear cross-language differences in the VOT of voiceless plosives between the two languages. Phonetic similarity affected L2 acquisition in that those L2 sounds that were close in phonetic space to L1 sounds (i.e. /t/ and /k/) were more difficult to acquire than those that were dissimilar to L1 sounds (i.e. /p/). However, L1 attrition showed an asymmetric pattern, occurring only in the English–Arabic bilinguals’ productions of the English /k/. We suggest that markedness might contribute to explaining this asymmetry.

The influence of language, culture, and environment on the use of spatial referencing in a multilingual context: Taiwan as a test case

AbstractThis study examines the Sociotopographic Model (Palmer, Bill, Jonathon Lum, Jonathan Schlossberg & Alice Gaby. 2017. How does the environment shape spatial language? Evidence for sociotopography.Linguistic Typology21(3). 457–491. DOI:10.1515/lingty-2017-0011) by exploring the use of spatial frames of reference in two genealogically related languages with rather distinct spatial features in a multilingual context. Taiwanese Min Nan (TMN) and Taiwanese Mandarin Chinese (MC), exhibit distinct features in spatial reference in small-scale space, including a geocentric preference among TMN speakers for using cardinal directions or external landmarks and a relative preference among MC speakers for projecting the viewer’s perspective onto the object. The study extended the research design of Bohnemeyer and his colleagues (Bohnemeyer, Jürgen, Katharine T. Donelson, Randi Tucker, Elena Benedicto, Alejandra Capistrán Garza, Alyson Eggleston, Néstor Hernández Green, María Hernández Gómez, Samuel Herrera Castro, Carolyn K. O’Meara, Enrique Palancar, Gabriela Pérez Báez, Gilles Polian & Rodrigo Romero Méndez. 2014. The cultural transmission of spatial cognition: Evidence from a large-scale study. In Paul Bello, Marcello Guarini, Marjorie McShane & Brian Scassellati (eds.),Proceedings of the 36th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 212–217. Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society) to the scope of bilingualism in order to explore how language, culture, and environment affect the use of spatial reference in bilinguals as compared to monolinguals. The research method comprised a discourse and a recall memory study. Contrary to the alignment between discourse and recall memory found in monolinguals, bilinguals displayed mixed patterns. Regression analyses indicated that, in addition to language, effects of environment emerged: topography was positively correlated with geocentric use, supporting the Topographic Correspondence Hypothesis (Palmer, Bill, Alice Gaby, Jonathon Lum & Jonathan Schlossberg. 2016. Topography and frame of reference in the threatened ecological niche of the atoll.Paper presented at “Geographic grounding: Place, direction and landscape in the grammars of the world”, University of Copenhagen, May 2016). A strong education effect had an impact on geocentric use in both studies, suggesting the possibility of the cultural mediation between language and environment.

Vocal Learning and Behaviors in Birds and Human Bilinguals: Parallels, Divergences and Directions for Research

Comparisons between the communication systems of humans and animals are instrumental in contextualizing speech and language into an evolutionary and biological framework and for illuminating mechanisms of human communication. As a complement to previous work that compares developmental vocal learning and use among humans and songbirds, in this article we highlight phenomena associated with vocal learning subsequent to the development of primary vocalizations (i.e., the primary language (L1) in humans and the primary song (S1) in songbirds). By framing avian “second-song” (S2) learning and use within the human second-language (L2) context, we lay the groundwork for a scientifically-rich dialogue between disciplines. We begin by summarizing basic birdsong research, focusing on how songs are learned and on constraints on learning. We then consider commonalities in vocal learning across humans and birds, in particular the timing and neural mechanisms of learning, variability of input, and variability of outcomes. For S2 and L2 learning outcomes, we address the respective roles of age, entrenchment, and social interactions. We proceed to orient current and future birdsong inquiry around foundational features of human bilingualism: L1 effects on the L2, L1 attrition, and L1<–>L2 switching. Throughout, we highlight characteristics that are shared across species as well as the need for caution in interpreting birdsong research. Thus, from multiple instructive perspectives, our interdisciplinary dialogue sheds light on biological and experiential principles of L2 acquisition that are informed by birdsong research, and leverages well-studied characteristics of bilingualism in order to clarify, contextualize, and further explore S2 learning and use in songbirds.

Interlingual Interactions Elicit Performance Mismatches Not “Compromise” Categories in Early Bilinguals: Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Coronal Stops

Previous studies attest that some early bilinguals produce the sounds of their languages in a manner that is characterized as “compromise” with regard to monolingual speakers. The present study uses meta-analytic techniques and coronal stop data from early bilinguals in order to assess this claim. The goal was to evaluate the cumulative evidence for “compromise” voice-onset time (VOT) in the speech of early bilinguals by providing a comprehensive assessment of the literature and presenting an acoustic analysis of coronal stops from early Spanish–English bilinguals. The studies were coded for linguistic and methodological features, as well as effect sizes, and then analyzed using a cross-classified Bayesian meta-analysis. The pooled effect for “compromise” VOT was negligible (β = −0.13). The acoustic analysis of the coronal stop data showed that the early Spanish–English bilinguals often produced Spanish and English targets with mismatched features from their other language. These performance mismatches presumably occurred as a result of interlingual interactions elicited by the experimental task. Taken together, the results suggest that early bilinguals do not have “compromise” VOT, though their speech involves dynamic phonetic interactions that can surface as performance mismatches during speech production.

Supporting Emergent Bilingual Professional Development through Supervisor Feedback

This study examines the effects of professional development on the content and frequency of university supervisor (n=6) written feedback related to supporting emergent bilinguals in order to improve the quality of observational evaluations provided to elementary and secondary pre-service teachers. Findings reveal supervisors’ post-intervention feedback more frequently addressed the needs of language learners and provided a greater breadth of issues related to emergent bilinguals. Interview data reveal key factors explain how the professional development addressed gaps in knowledge and affected confidence levels of university supervisors. Implications highlight the importance of supporting supervisors with targeted professional development opportunities around supporting emergent bilinguals to allow for critical reflection of feedback provided to pre-service teachers.

A developmental approach to bilingual research: The effects of multi-language experience from early infancy to old age

Aims and objectives: In this commentary article we consider the benefits of adopting a neuroconstructivist approach in the study of bilingualism in order to promote empirical and theoretical progress on the fiercely debated issue of whether bilingualism confers genuine cognitive advantages. Significance/implications: Although there is a general consensus that exposure to multilingual environments does not impair cognitive development, there are still doubts on the possible beneficial advantages of bilingualism. Critics argue that the evidence for this advantage might have been confounded by unsound or questionable methodological practices. Some investigators have abandoned research in this area, indicating either that there is no bilingual advantage or that it is impossible to capture and therefore rule out alternative explanations for group differences. Rather than dismissing this important theme in the literature, we advocate a more systematic approach in which the effects of multilinguistic experience are assessed and interpreted across well-defined stages of cognitive development. Conclusions: We encourage a broad, developmentally informed approach to plotting the trajectory of interactions between multi-language learning and cognitive development, using a convergence of neuroimaging and behavioural methods, across the whole lifespan. We believe that, through studying infants, children, young adults, adults and the elderly within a coherent and systematic developmental framework, a more accurate and valid account of potential cognitive and neural changes associated with multi-language learning will emerge.

Voice Onset Timing in the English of Spanish Heritage Speakers

The phonological system of bilinguals has been the subject of many recent studies. Several studies have specifically looked at Voice Onset Time (VOT) production in bilinguals in order to answer questions about the phonological system or systems of different types of bilinguals. For example, prior studies have looked at the effects of bilingual phonological production based on age of acquisition of a second language, cross-linguistic influence, and childhood experience with the language. This study will specifically examine the VOT production of a group of bilingual English-Spanish students who are enrolled in a Spanish as a Heritage Language Program (henceforth, SHL) at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This population is of particular interest as Spanish and English have been in long-standing contact in this region of the country. This study will measure the VOT of this diverse group of bilinguals in order to assess whether and to what extent exposure to and/or proficiency in Spanish has an effect on the production of English VOTs in this region of the country.

Early bilinguals and adult heritage speakers: What are the links?

of phenomena that seemingly result from the close contact of two (or more) grammatical systems. Societal bilingualism is characterized by constant and rapid changes which may be observed as they arise and spread in the linguistic and social systems. Likewise, bilingual first language acquisition is characterized by constant changes as children become cognitively and linguistically more mature. This article compares aspects of the grammars of two developing English-Spanish bilinguals with those of adult bilinguals in order to examine the general issue of intergenerational continuity and change in a situation of societal bilingualism. Two types of contact-induced change are identified: copy, a qualitative mechanism that underlies the notion of transfer, and quantitative influence, that is, patterns that are frequent in one language affect the frequency of parallel patterns in a contact language. Changes caused by copying are clearly the result of contact, while those that result from influence may have an internal or an external motivation, or both. The study supports the hypothesis that crosslinguistic interaction affects the lexicon and discoursepragmatics,but not the core syntax of the languages. Some concrete connections are indentified between early bilingual grammars and those of adult bilinguals, namely the increased production of overt subject pronouns and preverbal subjects,a reduced verbal system, and the reproduction of the meaning of word combinations from English into Spanish. The theoretical implications of the parallels identified between the children’s linguistic behavior and that of adult bilinguals are discussed.

Motion Encoding in Russian and English: Moving Beyond Talmy's Typology

The aim of the present study is twofold. One, we will show that Talmy's (1985, 1991, 2000) motion typology that groups Russian and English together as satellite‐framed languages may be justified on linguistic grounds but is inadequate from a psycholinguistic point of view. Two, we will argue that the shortcomings of the typology may account for inconclusive findings in research on language effects in motion cognition. The study examined lexicalization of motion in narratives elicited with the use of a picture bookFrog, where are you?(Mayer, 1969) from L1 speakers of Russian (n = 31), L1 speakers of English (n = 38), and Russian–English bilinguals (n = 30). All bilinguals told the story twice, once in each language, and were subdivided into early, childhood, and late bilinguals in order to control for combined effects of the Age of Arrival (AoA) and Length of Residence (LoR) in the L2 context on L2 performance. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the four motion verb corpora (L1 Russian, L1 English, Bilingual L1 Russian, Bilingual L2 English) revealed that L1 Russian speakers segment motion events in a more fine‐grained way and encode the manner, directionality, and spatiotemporal contours of motion events significantly more frequently than speakers of L1 English. Bilinguals followed language‐specific lexicalization patterns in both languages but late bilinguals displayed reduced lexical diversity in L2 English. These findings were linked to differences in obligatoriness, boundedness, and complexity of encoding of motion components in the two languages. We argue that these dimensions of motion encoding can be productively explored in instructional contexts and in future studies of language and motion cognition that go beyond Talmy's typology.

A biliteracy agenda for genre research

Most research on the development of genre knowledge has focused on genre learning in either a first language (L1) or a second language (L2). This paper highlights the potential of a biliteracy perspective on genre research that combines insights from literacy and bilingualism in order to examine how multilingual writers develop and use genre expertise in more than one language. From a theoretical point of view, the theorization of genre and genre knowledge in composition studies has developed relatively independently from the theorization of language and language proficiency in second language studies. It is argued that conceptually untangling the interrelated nature of genre, writing, and language expertise is a prerequisite for understanding multilingual genre learning. Research on genre learning and genre variation across languages and within multilingual communities is then reviewed to shed further light on the interrelationship between genre and language knowledge empirically. Pedagogical implications for better addressing the needs of multilingual writers are suggested.

Physiological reactivity to emotional phrases in Mandarin—English bilinguals

Chinese—English bilinguals residing in the US were interviewed about their experience of using emotional expressions. They judged L1-Mandarin expressions as feeling stronger than L2-English expressions. Respondents nonetheless preferred to express their emotions in English, citing more relaxed social constraints in English-speaking environments. Electrodermal monitoring was conducted on a similar sample of Chinese—English bilinguals in order to determine how physiological reactivity corresponds to self-reports. For those who had both good Mandarin and good self-reported English ability, English and Mandarin emotional expressions elicited similar magnitude skin conductance responses (SCRs), with the exception of the category of endearments (e.g., Thank you, I miss you, I love you ), where larger SCRs occurred for English expressions. Given cross-cultural reports that English-speaking societies encourage more open expression of positive emotion than do Chinese cultures, hearing English endearments may have led to easy retrieval of personal situations with strong emotional resonances; these memories then resulted in increased affect and increased SCRs. However, ratings of the emotional intensity of endearments were similar in the two languages, thus conflicting with the SCR findings. Additionally, English childhood reprimands were rated as less intense than L1-Mandarin reprimands, consistent with other studies showing that childhood reprimands are felt to be more intense in the native language. Future work will be needed to understand the conditions under which physiological responses differ from self-report.

Perception and Production of a Voicing Contrast by French-English Bilinguals

The use of spectral information at vowel onset, which constitutes a stronger cue to the voicing contrast in English than in French, was investigated in French-English bilinguals in order to determine whether the primary language in terms of early experience determines acoustic cue weighting. The /pεn/-/bεn/ minimal pair, meaningful in both languages, was used as a base for identification tests, which were presented with either an English or a French precursor word before each token. Two stimulus continua, formed of digitally-edited natural speech tokens, had an identical VOT range but varied in their [εn] stem. In their production of the contrast, bilinguals showed clear evidence of code-switching but did not always produce monolingual-like VOTs in their weaker language. In perception, the code-switching effect was significant but small. The bilingual group with English as primary early language showed a greater effect of vowel onset characteristics, in conflictingcue conditions, than the bilingual group with French as their primary early language, and, on average, cue-weighting was not affected by the language of the precursor. An effect of language dominance on cue-weighting was therefore found.

Some Aspects of Bilingualism for the English Teacher

At professional gatherings throughout the country, more and more teachers of English at all levels have been expressing an interest in bilingualism and bilingual programs. Since English, as a native or second language, is an integral part of these programs, the concern is justifiable. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the reader with prominent aspects of describing and measuring bilingualism. It also gives some insight into problems of learners of English as a second language for teachers working with nonnative English speaking students in schools without bilingual programs. In his preface to the report on the Description and Measurement of Bilingualism: An International Seminar, Bartlett states that as early as the Renaissance, studies of bilingual children and works on foreign language teaching appear. In the first part of the twentieth century, observers of language behavior linked bilingualism with human behavior. Many, however, were convinced that facility in a second language had a damaging effect on the development of intelligence. In some countries, governments were concerned with the incidence of bilingualism in order to develop a strong educational policy to stamp it out. In his discussion of the effect of bilingual education on learners, Haugen says:

Strategies and risks in psychotherapy with bilingual patients: the phenomenon of language independence

The presence of two separate languages, each with its own lexical, syntactic, semantic, and ideational components, can complicate psychotherapy with proficient bilingual patients. If only one language is used in therapy, some aspects of the patients emotional experience may be unavailable to treatment; if both languages are used, the patient may use language switching as a form of resistance to affectively charged material. The authors suggest that monolingual therapists should carefully assess the degree of language independence in bilinguals in order to minimize its impact on therapy. They conclude that study of bilingual patients may provide important insights into the nature of the therapeutic process.