Cross-linguistic Transfer Research Articles

Relationships Between First and Second Language Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming in Chinese Children with Dyslexia

Relationships Between First and Second Language Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming in Chinese Children with Dyslexia

English Grammar Skills in Dutch Grade 4 Children: Examining the Relation Between L1 and L2 Language Skills

Second language proficiency may be related to first language acquisition (Ganschow & Sparks, 1991), but relatively little is known about the relation between first and second language grammatical proficiency in primary school children who are in their first stages of foreign language learning. This study aims to determine whether differences in Dutch and English vocabulary and Dutch grammar skills predict differences in English grammatical proficiency in Dutch speaking children who are in grade 4 in primary school. The selected participants are monolingual Dutch pupils (N = 152), aged 9;0–10;0. To measure the children’s vocabulary the PPVT was used in Dutch (Schlichting, 2005) and in English (Dunn & Dunn, 2007). In addition, two grammar tasks in English and one in Dutch of the CELF (Semel et al., 2003) were used. The results show that English vocabulary is a strong predictor of English grammar skills, and that the Dutch vocabulary skills are weaker predictors of English grammar skills. Moreover, Dutch grammar skills predict English grammar skills for one of the grammar tasks. These results are discussed vis-à-vis hypotheses about cross-domain transfer and cross-linguistic transfer (Blom et al., 2012; Cummins, 1979; Ganschow & Sparks, 1991; Paradis, 2011; Sparks, 1995).

Optionality in semantic-pragmatic interface of bilingualism? Bare numeral constructions in Tibetan and Chinese bilinguals’ grammar

Bare numeral constructions (BNCs) can be anaphoric in Chinese but not Tibetan. Since the interpretation of BNCs requires a specific context, we consider it to involve a semantic-pragmatic interface, which has been argued to be vulnerable to crosslinguistic transfer for bilinguals (e.g., Sorace 2005, 2011). This study conducted a controlled sentence-picture matching truth value judgment task to examine whether Tibetan-Chinese bilinguals show crosslinguistic influence when interpreting BNCs in both languages. The data suggests that crosslinguistic effects did occur among some bilinguals. However, there were more bilinguals who successfully differentiated the two languages regarding the interpretation of BNCs. Our findings imply that early bilinguals may not necessarily show optionality in interface phenomena.

Characteristics of Second Language Reading Processing

Several studies mostly focus on a specific area of research, the current paper’s aim is to bring together the various research in a single volume, indicating their particularities as well as demonstrate their inter-relations. Phonological, lexical and syntactic processing Second Language Processing (SLP) are discussed as SLP is a cognitive form of acquisition, and is debated o be bottom-up processes, up-down processes, or a combination of both resulting in integrated interactive processes. SLP faces more complicated issues and involves more factors in comparison with L1 processing as L2 reading comprehension observes the effect of higher-order processes and chances of crosslinguistic transfer in relation to the reader’s L2 linguistic knowledge, L2 proficiency levels, or other language-general reading processes. Furthermore, the major reading process models are mentioned in categories of word identification, syntactic parsing and discourse processing, as well as text and reader related variables are reviewed. Finally, some of the main pedagogical associations with teaching reading comprehension are examined.

Glottalizing at word junctures: Exploring bidirectional transfer in child and adult Spanish heritage speakers

Abstract While research in heritage language phonology has found that transfer from the majority language can lead to divergent attainment in adult heritage language grammars, the extent to which language transfer develops during a heritage speaker's lifespan is understudied. To explore such cross-linguistic transfer, I examine the rate of glottalization between consonant-to-vowel sequences at word junctures produced by child and adult Spanish heritage speakers (i.e., HSs) in both languages. My results show that, in Spanish, child HSs produce greater rates of vowel-initial glottal phonation than their age-matched monolingually-raised Spanish counterparts, suggesting that the Spanish child HSs’ grammars are more permeable to transfer than those of the adult HSs. In English, child and adult HSs show similarly low rates of glottal phonation when compared to their age-matched monolingually-raised English speakers’ counterparts. The findings for English can be explained by either an account of transfer at the individual level or the community level.

The impact of L1 orthographic depth and L2 proficiency on mapping orthography to phonology in L2-English: an ERP investigation

AbstractEnglish monolinguals (Experiment 1) and first language (L1)-dominant, Spanish-English and Chinese-English bilinguals (Experiment 2), who differed in L1 orthographic depth (shallow: Spanish; deep: Chinese) and second language (L2–English) proficiency, decided whether visually presented letter strings were English words, while behavioral and EEG measures were recorded. The spelling-sound regularity and consistency of stimuli were covaried such that words had either regular/consistent (e.g., GATE) or irregular/inconsistent mappings (e.g., PINT). Irregular/inconsistent words elicited more positive P200 and less negative N400 amplitudes than regular/consistent words in monolinguals, yet only a P200 response in bilinguals. English proficiency modulated L2 reading strategies, such that bilinguals employed distinct reading unit sizes in the L2 than the L1 when L2 proficiency was low, but transferred L1 reading units to the L2 when L2 proficiency was high. ERP results suggest that high L2 proficiency may be a prerequisite to the cross-linguistic transfer of reading strategies.

Cross-linguistic transfer and ambient phonology

For speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with multilingual children, differential diagnosis between typical development and speech sound disorder may be complex. This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a bilingual Vietnamese–Australian child (PE) between the ages of 3 years;10 months (3;10) and 6;10, to explore the impact of cross-linguistic transfer and ambient phonology on speech acquisition. PE completed speech assessments as a participant in the VietSpeech Study: the Vietnamese Speech Assessment and the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology in English. Differential diagnosis based on English speech assessment alone indicated speech sound disorder; yet differential diagnosis based on speech assessment in both languages revealed developmental, cross-linguistic transfer, and ambient phonological influences to be the primary reasons for mismatches. Independent and relational analyses at 3;10 revealed age-appropriate phonetic inventories in Vietnamese and English and bi-directional cross-linguistic transfer: segmental transfer of non-shared consonants, non-shared phonological patterns, and a preference for palatal and retroflex consonants. Contrastive analysis with family members demonstrated the impact of ambient phonology on PE’s speech. Over the three years her speech accuracy improved and mismatches reduced. By 6;10 her English speech was age appropriate and some cross-linguistic transfer was still evident in Vietnamese. Evidence is presented for how dual phonological systems can interact over time until they stabilize. During differential diagnosis, SLPs need to consider the influence of cross-linguistic transfer and ambient phonology on bilingual speech acquisition.

Complexity and cross-linguistic transfer in intervention for Spanish-English bilingual children with speech sound disorder.

With bilingual children, intervention for speech sound disorders must consider both of the child's phonological systems, which are known to interact with each other in development. Further, cross-linguistic generalization following intervention for bilingual children with speech sound disorders (i.e., the impact of treatment in one language on the other) has been documented to varying degrees in some prior studies. However, none to date have documented the cross-linguistic impact of treatment with complex targets (e.g., consonant clusters) for bilingual children. Because complex phonological targets have been shown to induce system-wide generalization within a single language, the potential for bilingual children to generalize learning across languages could impact the efficiency of intervention in this population. This pilot intervention study examines the system-wide, cross-linguistic effects of treatment targeting consonant clusters in Spanish for two Spanish-English bilingual children with phonological disorder. Treatment was provided with 45-minute sessions in Spanish via teletherapy, three times per week for six weeks. Comprehensive phonological probes were administered in English and Spanish prior to intervention and across multiple baselines. Pre-intervention data were compared to data from probes administered during and after intervention to generate qualitative and quantitative measures of treatment outcomes and cross-linguistic generalization. Results indicate a medium effect size for system-wide generalization in Spanish (the language of treatment) and English (not targeted in treatment), for both participants (mean effect size in Spanish: 3.6; English 4.3). These findings have implications for across-language transfer and system-wide generalization in treatment for bilingual children.

Teaching Foreign Languages to Learners with Dyslexia in Greece: An Overview of Theory and Practice

The present article summarizes various aspects of teaching foreign languages to learners with dyslexia. In particular, although it is a matter examined broadly around the world, in Greece there are few references and limited research in this field. Furthermore, the lack of foreign language teachers' training in the field of specific learning difficulties in Greece is also examined. In this article, we refer to first language and foreign language(s) acquisition and focus on the situation in Greece, where the first foreign language taught in schools is English and the second foreign language is either German or French. Furthermore, we examine the mechanisms of (second) foreign language acquisition as well as the factors that influence this process. Additionally, we consider the appropriate time to start learning a foreign language, as well as various reading and spelling difficulties that the learners with dyslexia face during this process. A very dominant factor that influences learners with dyslexia and causes difficulties in reading and spelling is the phonological awareness (phonemic awareness and syllable awareness). Due to the cross-linguistic transfer of this skill, we mention ways to improve phonological awareness skills in the first language and in the foreign language(s).

Self-Repair in Elicited Narrative Production in Speakers of Russian as the First (L1), Second (L2), and Heritage (HL) Language

The current study investigates self-repairs in the speech of three groups of Russian speakers: monolingual controls (N = 12) residing in the Russian Federation, for whom Russian is their first dominant language (L1); bilingual Russian–Hebrew speaking participants (N = 12), who acquired Russian as their Heritage Language (HL) in contact with the dominant Societal Hebrew in Israel; and bilingual Russian–Chinese speakers (N = 12) residing in the Russian Federation at the time of testing, for whom Russian is their second language (L2). Picture-elicited narratives were coded for instances of self-repairs, split into Conceptualizer Repairs (C-repairs)—which imply pragmatic, semantic, or lexical changes—and Formulator Repairs (F-repairs), correcting different types of errors. In addition, self-repair initiators—such as cut-offs, hesitation pauses, and discourse markers—were annotated before each instance of self-repair. The results indicate that L2 speakers, in general, use self-repairs more frequently than L1 and HL speakers. L1 speakers hardly produced F-repairs, while HL and L2 speakers resorted to both C- and F-repairs. L1 speakers mainly used C-repairs for appropriacy, whereas HL and L2 speakers used C-repairs for rephrasing and lexical item change. As for F-repairs, HL speakers tended to change pronunciation and morphology, while L2 speakers implemented more morphological repairs. Lexical initiators of self-repairs were more common in L1 speech; however, in the L2 group we saw much more frequent cut-offs of repaired speech fragments. As such, varying self-repair strategies were employed by different speaker groups, shedding light on the underlying processes of language production. There was also evidence of cross-linguistic transfer of non-lexical self-repair initiators: HL speakers resorted to prolongations as initiators in HL-Russian (a strategy that is common in their dominant language, Hebrew), whereas L1 speakers used vocalized and silent pauses more frequently.

Fenomeni di transfer nell’italiano L3 di nederlandofoni

Transfer phenomena in Italian L3 by Dutch-speaking learners Consequences for didactics
 The present study investigates some aspects of the learning process of Italian as an L3 by two groups of multilingual learners. In particular, through the examination of the learners’ cross-linguistic transfer occurrences we reflect on the didactic consequences of working with learners mastering several L2s. The results suggest that the learning process can be influenced by and adapted to the learners’ linguistic repertoire. Specifically, teachers can play an essential role facilitating the learning process of an L3: through actively promoting the development of metalinguistic awareness and metacognitive skills in their students, knowledge already acquired in other languages can be used to assist the learning of an L3.

Issues in multilingual education in Burundi: The ‘old’ multilingual education system

From 1967 to 2012, Burundi had a formal system of education referred to, today, as old system. This system had initially three languages in education before Swahili was added in 2006. Since 2013, Burundi has a new educational system with four languages in education. This paper aimed to discuss the so called old education system of Burundi as far as languages in education are concerned. It explores issues related to the Burundian old multilingual educational system. Content materials designed by policy makers for languages of instruction and languages taught as subjects have provided substance for the discussion. Furthermore, documents including language education policy documents, content materials and the existing literature were consulted and analysed through content analysis methods. The way the languages were presented and introduced to learners through the content materials was discussed to understand underlying policy makers’ philosophy about how multilingual education should be carried out to achieve expected multilingual competence in the languages involved. It was realised that the system privileged separation of languages to avoid language transfer in order to achieve expected language competence. Crosslinguistic Transfer (interference) was considered to be a hindrance to language competence development and it was to be avoided both through the content materials and the teaching methods during classroom practices.

The Acquisition of French Determiners by Bilingual Children: A Prosodic Account

The present longitudinal study investigates the acquisition of determiners (articles) in two simultaneously bilingual French-Italian children aged 1;6,12 until 3;5,17, one of them being French-dominant and the other one being Italian-dominant. Although French and Italian determiners and determiner phrases share some syntactic aspects, they largely differ with respect to noun length and lexical stress in the nominal domain. Prosody is expected to be a decisive factor in the early prosodification of determiners by French-Italian bilinguals. The analysis of more than 4500 noun phrases yields different acquisition paths and cross-linguistic transfer, which can neither be explained by linguistic structure nor by language balance alone. The results are analyzed within the generative framework. The proposed account integrates language-internal and external factors for determiner acquisition in French by bilingual children.

Recovery patterns, cross-linguistic transfer effects and modulating factors in the rehabilitation of bilingual aphasia

Abstract This article firstly introduces an emerging field of bilingual aphasia and discusses the theoretical framework and the significance of bilingual aphasia research. It then provides a review of existing research, focusing on recovery patterns, cross-linguistic transfer effects, and modulating factors in the rehabilitation of bilingual aphasia. It concludes with identification of areas for future research to advance knowledge in bilingual aphasia.

THE CONSTRAINTS OF CROSS-LINGUISTIC TRANSFER ON BIPA LEARNING

One of the interesting issues regarding the BIPA learning process is how the similarities and differences of the source and target languages (Indonesian language) are related to students’ understanding of the Indonesian language. This study is related to what is known as a cross-linguistic transfer. This paper reviews theoretically cross-linguistic transfer in learning in BIPA (Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers). This study employed the descriptive-qualitative method. A qualitative method was used to describe the patterns of similarity between Indonesian language as the target language and the learner’s native language in BIPA learning using a cross-linguistic transfer approach. The result of the study revealed that the discussion about cross-linguistic transfer in the process of learning the Indonesian language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) was not a monolithic matter. The similarities and differences in word forms and word meanings were closely related to how quickly speakers of other languages learned the target language.

L2M1 and L2M2 Acquisition of Sign Lexicon: The Impact of Multimodality on the Sign Second Language Acquisition.

In second language research, the concept of cross-linguistic influence or transfer has frequently been used to describe the interaction between the first language (L1) and second language (L2) in the L2 acquisition process. However, less is known about the L2 acquisition of a sign language in general and specifically the differences in the acquisition process of L2M2 learners (learners learning a sign language for the first time) and L2M1 learners (signers learning another sign language) from a multimodal perspective. Our study explores the influence of modality knowledge on learning Swedish Sign Language through a descriptive analysis of the sign lexicon in narratives produced by L2M1 and L2M2 learners, respectively. A descriptive mixed-methods framework was used to analyze narratives of adult L2M1 (n = 9) and L2M2 learners (n = 15), with a focus on sign lexicon, i.e., use and distribution of the sign types such as lexical signs, depicting signs (classifier predicates), fingerspelling, pointing, and gestures. The number and distribution of the signs are later compared between the groups. In addition, a comparison with a control group consisting of L1 signers (n = 9) is provided. The results suggest that L2M2 learners exhibit cross-modal cross-linguistic transfer from Swedish (through higher usage of lexical signs and fingerspelling). L2M1 learners exhibits same-modal cross-linguistic transfer from L1 sign languages (through higher usage of depicting signs and use of signs from L1 sign language and international signs). The study suggests that it is harder for L2M2 learners to acquire the modality-specific lexicon, despite possible underlying gestural knowledge. Furthermore, the study suggests that L2M1 learners’ access to modality-specific knowledge, overlapping access to gestural knowledge and iconicity, facilitates faster L2 lexical acquisition, which is discussed from the perspective of linguistic relativity (including modality) and its role in sign L2 acquisition.

Variability, accuracy, and cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual children speaking Jamaican Creole and English

ABSTRACT Due to the lack of normative data about bilingual speech development and limited availability of diagnostic tools optimised for this population, bilingual children under consideration for speech-language services are at an elevated risk of misdiagnosis. In the absence of validated assessment tools, speech-language pathologists may use measures of accuracy and variability of speech production to diagnose suspected speech sound disorders in bilingual children. Research in general motor development suggests that variability and accuracy may trade off in the course of maturation, whereby movement variability spikes before the transition to a more mature stage of motor control. Such variability-accuracy tradeoffs have been described in monolingual speech development but are understudied in bilingual populations, where cross-linguistic transfer occurs. This study aimed to examine variability, accuracy, and cross-linguistic transfer in the speech of 20 bilingual children speaking Jamaican Creole and English. We hypothesised that children who showed higher accuracy in their productions would also exhibit more variable speech, indicating a variability-accuracy tradeoff. The Word Inconsistency Assessment from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology was administered to measure accuracy and variability in the English context, where misdiagnosis is likely to occur. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed that individuals with higher accuracy tended to be less variable in their productions. Future research should examine longitudinal trajectories of accuracy and variability and consider a more culturally-appropriate definition of ‘accuracy’ in documenting bilingual speech sound development.

Transcribing multilingual children’s and adults’ speech

ABSTRACT Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face challenges in transcription and diagnosis of speech sound disorders (SSD) in multilingual children due to ambient language influences and cross-linguistic transfer. The VietSpeech Multilingual Transcription Protocol, a 4-step process to undertake impressionistic transcription of multilingual speech was tested using data from Vietnamese-Australian children (n = 69) and adult family members (n = 85). The transcription team included an English-speaking SLP, a Vietnamese-English-speaking linguist and accredited interpreter, and two Vietnamese-English-speaking SLPs. (1) Training: The team completed training together in Vietnamese and English phonology. (2) Speech assessment: The participants were assessed using the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) in English and the Vietnamese Speech Assessment (VSA). (3) Transcription comparison: Inter-rater reliability for 10 children and 12 adults was calculated using consonant-by-consonant agreement. For English the 3-way inter-rater agreement was 92.62% for children and 88.69% for adults. For Vietnamese the 4-way inter-rater agreement was 86.57% for children and 96.05% for adults. There was a significant correlation between speech accuracy and inter-rater reliability for children’s consonants in English (r = 0.95) and Vietnamese (r = 0.91), and adults’ consonants in English (r = 0.90), but not for Vietnamese (r = 0.49). Reliability was influenced by phoneme class and whether the target consonant was shared between languages. (4) Rule generation and consensus: Rules based on near functional equivalence were implemented to maintain consistency and reach consensus. SLPs who do not speak clients’ home languages can be supported to transcribe multilingual speech by working with multilingual teams, and understanding personal limitations during multilingual speech assessments.

Factors affecting cross-linguistic transfer of handwriting performance among elementary-school bilingual students

Introduction Although many countries have diverse populations and bilingual students, most handwriting research focused on monolingual students, and the issue of cross-linguistic transfer gained less attention. Moreover, research on the effect of socio-linguistic factors on cross-linguistic transfer of handwriting is scarce. This study compared handwriting performance of fourth-grade students attending bilingual schools, who wrote in their primary (L1) to second (L2) languages, and the effect of socio-linguistic factors on the transfer of handwriting performance. Method Ninety-five typically developing fourth-grade students were recruited from three bilingual (Hebrew-Arabic) schools in Israel. Participants were administered a paper-pencil motor coordination task as well as reading and handwriting tests in their L1 and L2. Results Transfer effect was not uniform and was stronger among the Arabic-speaking group. Reading speed and handwriting automaticity in L2 and handwriting speed in L1 predicted 70% of the variance in L2 handwriting speed. Conclusion These findings may be explained by the complexity of Arabic orthography, as well as the low level of exposure of the Hebrew-speaking students to Arabic, which is a minority language. These results can guide occupational therapists in addressing factors affecting handwriting difficulties, and in considering socio-linguistic factors necessary for mastering handwriting in teaching a second language.

Cross-linguistic transfer in academic journal writing: Evidence from lexical bundle analysis in Russian and English

Lexical bundles are considered a fundamental feature of academic writing and have been extensively studied by corpus linguists. However, while learner corpus-based studies have noted the differences between first (L1) and second languages (L2) in the production of lexical bundles, few of them have assessed the underlying causes of such differences, particularly regarding cross-linguistic transfer. The present study investigates the use of lexical bundles in professional writing in the field of Educational Psychology produced by L1 English and L1 Russian authors in order to evaluate the evidence of cross-linguistic transfer in the writing of L2 English learners with L1 Russian background and examine the patterns of L2 English lexical bundle use that mirror L1 English production. This exploratory study compares the frequency and discourse functions of lexical bundles produced by native speakers of English to those used by Russian speakers in their L2 English professional writing, as well as professional writing in their L1. The results of the study indicate that L2 English writing produced by Russian speakers displays overlap in the composition and use of lexical bundles in L1 Russian writing pointing at possible L1 transfer.