Bilingual Speech Research Articles

Cross-Linguistic Phonetic Variation in Bilingual Speech: Cantonese /n/ > [l] Merger in Early Cantonese-English Bilinguals.

/n/ is merging with /l/ in Cantonese, as well as in several other Chinese languages. The Cantonese merger appears categorical, with /n/ becoming /l/ syllable-initially. This project aims to describe /n/ and /l/ in Cantonese and English speech from early Cantonese-English bilinguals to better understand the status of the merger in Cantonese and its potential for cross-linguistic mutual influence. We examine early bilinguals' (n = 34) speech using the Speech in Cantonese and English (SpiCE) corpus, focusing on pre-vocalic /n/ and /l/ onsets in both languages. Items were auditorily coded for their perceived category identity, and two acoustic measures anticipated to have the potential to differentiate /n/ and /l/ within and across languages were applied. In English, bilinguals maintained a clear contrast between /n/ and /l/ in the auditory coding and in acoustic measurements. In Cantonese, however, there were higher rates of [l] for /n/ items, in line with the merger, and [n] for /l/ items, indicating hypercorrection of the pattern. Across languages, bilinguals produced language-specific /l/s, but there were no acoustic differences between Cantonese and English /n/. The participation of Cantonese /n/ in a sound change does not appear to compromise English /n/s' patterning, suggesting that Cantonese and English /n/ are maintained as distinct categories in the minds of early bilinguals.

Unusual patterns of codeswitching in an unbalanced bilingual person with aphasia: effects of language and executive functions impairment

ABSTRACT Background Bilingual individuals with aphasia may exhibit unique patterns of language impairment and recovery. While code-switching (CS) is a common feature of bilingual speech, pathological CS following brain damage can provide insights into the neural mechanisms controlling bilingual language processing. Aims This study aimed to examine language impairment and recovery patterns in IZ, an unbalanced Hebrew-English bilingual with non-fluent aphasia, focusing on the unusual CS behavior observed during his subacute phase of recovery. Methods and procedures IZ underwent language and narrative assessments in both languages during the subacute and chronic phases of recovery. Ten cognitive tests were administered to assess various domains of cognitive function. Language performance was evaluated through naming and syntactic processing tasks in L1-Hebrew and L2-English. The frequency and type of CS were analyzed using the matrix language frame model. Outcomes and results During the subacute phase, IZ displayed significant language deficits in both L1-Hebrew and L2-English, with more severe impairment in L1-Hebrew naming and L2-English syntactic processing. He exhibited frequent involuntary CS, primarily using L1-Hebrew as the matrix language while embedding L2-English content words. Cognitive testing revealed reduced performance across multiple domains. In the chronic phase, IZ showed parallel improvements in both languages, particularly in L1-Hebrew naming and L2-English syntactic processing, along with a marked reduction in CS frequency. Conclusions IZ’s case demonstrates a double dissociation between lexical and syntactic processing across L1 and L2. The results suggest that matrix language selection in bilinguals may be governed by distinct neural mechanisms for each language, with specific brain regions responsible for activating lexical representations. Damage to these regions may lead to pathological CS, as observed in this case. This study underscores the importance of understanding bilingual language control mechanisms in aphasia rehabilitation.

Variation in VOT in English child-directed speech of English-Mandarin and English-Malay early bilinguals in Singapore

ABSTRACT Variability has been observed in the phonetic/phonological properties of child-directed speech from late-second language bilingual caregivers, but less is known about input variation among early bilinguals in multi-dialectal/multilingual contexts. This study examined English stop voicing contrasts in the adult-directed and child-directed speech of 30 Singaporean early bilingual mothers who differed in their other language (Mandarin/Malay) and language dominance. Results showed that, while Malay and Chinese mothers used similar voice onset time (VOT) for voicing contrast, they differed in where on the VOT continuum these contrasts were made, regardless of speech style and dominance. Compared to their English-dominant peers, Malay/Mandarin-dominant mothers also produced smaller contrasts overall. These patterns could be attributed to cross-linguistic influence, as well as effects of long-term language contact and the mothers’ linguistic experiences. Sub-phonemic variation adds complexity to child bilingual phonological acquisition, emphasising the need to consider input properties in sociolinguistically complex contexts.

Unveiling the neuroplastic capacity of the bilingual brain: insights from healthy and pathological individuals.

Research on the neural imprint of dual-language experience, crucial for understanding how the brain processes dominant and non-dominant languages, remains inconclusive. Conflicting evidence suggests either similarity or distinction in neural processing, with implications for bilingual patients with brain tumors. Preserving dual-language functions after surgery requires considering pre-diagnosis neuroplastic changes. Here, we combine univariate and multivariate fMRI methodologies to test a group of healthy Spanish-Basque bilinguals and a group of bilingual patients with gliomas affecting the language-dominant hemisphere while they overtly produced sentences in either their dominant or non-dominant language. Findings from healthy participants revealed the presence of a shared neural system for both languages, while also identifying regions with distinct language-dependent activation and lateralization patterns. Specifically, while the dominant language engaged a more left-lateralized network, speech production in the non-dominant language relied on the recruitment of a bilateral basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit. Notably, based on language lateralization patterns, we were able to robustly decode (AUC: 0.80 ± 0.18) the language being used. Conversely, bilingual patients exhibited bilateral activation patterns for both languages. For the dominant language, regions such as the cerebellum, thalamus, and caudate acted in concert with the sparsely activated language-specific nodes. In the case of the non-dominant language, the recruitment of the default mode network was notably prominent. These results demonstrate the compensatory engagement of non-language-specific networks in the preservation of bilingual speech production, even in the face of pathological conditions. Overall, our findings underscore the pervasive impact of dual-language experience on brain functional (re)organization, both in health and disease.

Bilingual speech neuroprosthesis.

A neuroprosthesis could decode two languages from the brain activity of a bilingual participant who was unable to articulate speech.

О ФАКТОРАХ, ВОЗДЕЙСТВУЮЩИХ НА ПОЯВЛЕНИЕ СИТУАТИВНО ОБУСЛОВЛЕННОГО КОДОВОГО ПЕРЕКЛЮЧЕНИЯ

The article examines the main causes of code switches in bilingual speech, which are the result of the interaction of two different language systems in his mind.

On Negative Language Transfer in the Speech of Kazakh-Russian Bilinguals: Post-Soviet and Current Identities

The focus of the current study is on investigating code switching and interference in the oral communication of Kazakh-Russian bilinguals. Particular emphasis is given to exploring the relationships between various types of code switching as interference and their impact on speech. The study collects data from interviews with popular young men and employs componential analysis as the primary research methodology. The paper examines how interference affects both pragmatic and structural changes in speech, and it is argued that social factors are linked to the negative effects of interference and the specifics of code switching in Kazakh-Russian bilinguals' communication. The study reveals that the native Kazakh language underwent morphological and structural alterations as a result of the deliberate selection of code-switching types, and the influence of Russian as a guest language has played a significant role in these changes. Overall, this study sheds light on the complexities of language interactions and the potential impact of bilingualism on linguistic diversity.

Просодические маркеры состояния «радость» (на примере языковых реализаций кабардинцев-билингвов в регионе Кавказские Минеральные Воды)

The present study is devoted to the study of ethnospecific features of the expression of emotions in the speech of representatives of Kabardian and Russian ethnogroups of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region based on the material of an experimental corpus of quasi-spontaneous audio files-dialogues marked with the emotional state "joy", recorded by representatives of Russian and Kabardian ethnogroups. The aim of the study is to identify nationally specific prosodic markers of the state of "joy" based on the material of the Russian and Kabardian ethnogroups of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. The scientific novelty of the study consists in identifying ethnically conditioned signs that manifest the difference in emotionally marked communication models in the speech of North Caucasian bilinguals. Acoustic analysis of the material showed differences in the sound characteristics of speech between the Russian and the interfered variants, such as an increase in the intervals of raising and lowering the tone, an expansion of the tonal range of the phrase and changes in the formant values of vowels. The results obtained prove that both the formant picture of the studied replicas in the implementation of Kabardian and Russian ethnogroups and the data of the level of phrasal prosody are ethnically conditioned, and emotionally marked communication models differ in qualitative characteristics.

Проблемы восприятия речи с признаками иноязычного акцента в современной англоязычной коммуникации

The article is devoted to the problems of perception of foreign-accented speech in modern English-language communication. The theoretical aspects of foreign language accent typology and potential difficulties of perception are considered. The article describes the course of preparation and conduct of an experiment on the auditory perception of East Asian and European accent types in English by Russian-speaking and foreign students. The results show that the typology of foreign accent phenomena in English speech of bilinguals according to the global regional standards is objectively perceived by the participants of the perception experiment, while identifying the speaker’s nationality within these standards is likely to be problematic. The proximity of one's own accent in non-native speech to the perceived one contributes to the success of communication.

Exposure to bilingual or monolingual maternal speech during pregnancy affects the neurophysiological encoding of speech sounds in neonates differently.

Exposure to maternal speech during the prenatal period shapes speech perception and linguistic preferences, allowing neonates to recognize stories heard frequently in utero and demonstrating an enhanced preference for their mother's voice and native language. Yet, with a high prevalence of bilingualism worldwide, it remains an open question whether monolingual or bilingual maternal speech during pregnancy influence differently the fetus' neural mechanisms underlying speech sound encoding. In the present study, the frequency-following response (FFR), an auditory evoked potential that reflects the complex spectrotemporal dynamics of speech sounds, was recorded to a two-vowel /oa/ stimulus in a sample of 129 healthy term neonates within 1 to 3 days after birth. Newborns were divided into two groups according to maternal language usage during the last trimester of gestation (monolingual; bilingual). Spectral amplitudes and spectral signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at the stimulus fundamental (F0) and first formant (F1) frequencies of each vowel were, respectively, taken as measures of pitch and formant structure neural encoding. Our results reveal that while spectral amplitudes at F0 did not differ between groups, neonates from bilingual mothers exhibited a lower spectral SNR. Additionally, monolingually exposed neonates exhibited a higher spectral amplitude and SNR at F1 frequencies. We interpret our results under the consideration that bilingual maternal speech, as compared to monolingual, is characterized by a greater complexity in the speech sound signal, rendering newborns from bilingual mothers more sensitive to a wider range of speech frequencies without generating a particularly strong response at any of them. Our results contribute to an expanding body of research indicating the influence of prenatal experiences on language acquisition and underscore the necessity of including prenatal language exposure in developmental studies on language acquisition, a variable often overlooked yet capable of influencing research outcomes.

A bilingual speech neuroprosthesis driven by cortical articulatory representations shared between languages.

Advancements in decoding speech from brain activity have focused on decoding a single language. Hence, the extent to which bilingual speech production relies on unique or shared cortical activity across languages has remained unclear. Here, we leveraged electrocorticography, along with deep-learning and statistical natural-language models of English and Spanish, to record and decode activity from speech-motor cortex of a Spanish-English bilingual with vocal-tract and limb paralysis into sentences in either language. This was achieved without requiring the participant to manually specify the target language. Decoding models relied on shared vocal-tract articulatory representations across languages, which allowed us to build a syllable classifier that generalized across a shared set of English and Spanish syllables. Transfer learning expedited training of the bilingual decoder by enabling neural data recorded in one language to improve decoding in the other language. Overall, our findings suggest shared cortical articulatory representations that persist after paralysis and enable the decoding of multiple languages without the need to train separate language-specific decoders.

Bidialectal acoustic realization of tones is influenced by dialect experience and homophone status

While evidence shows that interlingual cognates can enhance cross-language phonetic assimilation in production, it is reasonable to assume that interlingual homophones can enhance cross-language phonological interference. Distinct from cognates, interlingual homophones do not share semantic content, which may affect the degree of co-activation observed across languages. The present study examines this hypothesis in a group of bidialectal speakers, whose lexicon consists of a large number of inter-dialectal homophones. Productions of Chengdu Mandarin tones by Chengdu Mandarin and Standard Mandarin speakers were examined in a word naming task. The results showed that bidialectal speakers’ native tone productions were influenced by their experience in speaking Standard Mandarin as well as the inter-dialectal homophone status of the lexical item. Additionally, both of these influences were modulated by the structure of the inter-dialect tone categories. The findings support the similarity between bidialectal and bilingual speech processing and provide novel evidence for bilingual speech models from the level of suprasegmental processing.

Bilingual Language Dominance and Code-switching Patterns

Abstract Code-switching, the alternation between two languages in an interaction, is a salient characteristic of bilingual speech, but there is substantial variability in code-switching patterns among bilinguals. Language dominance, the relative strength of a bilingual’s languages, has been suggested as a key factor that impacts both the frequency with which a bilingual engages in code-switching and the directionality of code-switching. This study examines the relationship between language dominance and code-switching engagement and directionality. A total of 454 Spanish–English bilinguals completed questionnaires regarding language dominance, code-switching engagement, and code-switching directionality. Results demonstrated an impact of language dominance on code-switching engagement, with more balanced bilinguals reporting greater code-switching, although significant individual variation remained. A weak link between language dominance and directionality was also found. These findings suggest that while language dominance may serve to constrain a bilingual’s range of possible engagement with code-switching, it represents a distinct characteristic of a bilingual’s language profile.

Switching off: disruptive TMS reveals distinct contributions of the posterior middle temporal gyrus and angular gyrus to bilingual speech production.

The role of the left temporoparietal cortex in speech production has been extensively studied during native language processing, proving crucial in controlled lexico-semantic retrieval under varying cognitive demands. Yet, its role in bilinguals, fluent in both native and second languages, remains poorly understood. Here, we employed continuous theta burst stimulation to disrupt neural activity in the left posterior middle-temporal gyrus (pMTG) and angular gyrus (AG) while Italian-Friulian bilinguals performed a cued picture-naming task. The task involved between-language (naming objects in Italian or Friulian) and within-language blocks (naming objects ["knife"] or associated actions ["cut"] in a single language) in which participants could either maintain (non-switch) or change (switch) instructions based on cues. During within-language blocks, cTBS over the pMTG entailed faster naming for high-demanding switch trials, while cTBS to the AG elicited slower latencies in low-demanding non-switch trials. No cTBS effects were observed in the between-language block. Our findings suggest a causal involvement of the left pMTG and AG in lexico-semantic processing across languages, with distinct contributions to controlled vs. "automatic" retrieval, respectively. However, they do not support the existence of shared control mechanisms within and between language(s) production. Altogether, these results inform neurobiological models of semantic control in bilinguals.

Realization of Chinese-English Bilingual Speech Dialogue System using Machine Translation Technology

The realization of a Chinese-English bilingual speech dialogue system through machine translation technology involves developing a sophisticated system capable of seamlessly translating spoken language between Chinese and English in real-time. This system employs cutting-edge machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and natural language processing techniques to accurately interpret and translate speech inputs from one language to another. By integrating advanced speech recognition and translation models, users can engage in fluid and natural conversations across language barriers, opening up new possibilities for cross-cultural communication and interaction. This paper introduces a Statistical Phase-based Bilingual Speech (SPBS) system designed to facilitate seamless language translation and dialogue between multiple languages, with a focus on Chinese and English. Leveraging advanced machine learning models and techniques, such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) architecture, the SPBS system achieves high translation accuracy, computational efficiency, and fluency of translations. The system's multilingual model attains an impressive translation accuracy of 97% while processing 10 sentences per second, with positive feedback on the fluency of translations. Trained on a substantial dataset of 1 million bilingual sentence pairs, the SPBS model maintains a compact size of 500 MB. Furthermore, the paper presents the machine learning settings and training progress of the SPBS system, demonstrating its effectiveness in accurately classifying and translating speech inputs across languages. The system's multilingual model attains an impressive translation accuracy of 97% while processing 10 sentences per second, with positive feedback on the fluency of translations. Trained on a substantial dataset of 1 million bilingual sentence pairs, the SPBS model maintains a compact size of 500 MB.

Neuroimaging evidence dissociates forced and free language selection during bilingual speech production

Abstract Bilinguals may choose to speak a language either at their own will or in response to an external demand, but the underlying neural mechanisms in the two contexts is poorly understood. In the present study, Chinese–English bilinguals named pairs of pictures in three conditions: during forced-switch, the naming language altered between pictures 1 and 2. During non-switch, the naming language used was the same. During free-naming, either the same or different languages were used at participants' own will. While behavioural switching costs were observed during free-naming and forced-switching, neuroimaging results showed that forced language selection (i.e., forced-switch and non-switch) is associated with left-lateralized frontal activations, which have been implicated in inhibitory control. Free language selection (i.e., free-naming), however, was associated with fronto-parietal activations, which have been implicated in self-initiated behaviours. These findings offer new insights into the neural differentiation of language control in forced and free language selection contexts.

Examining /l/ variation in Singaporean bilingual child-directed speech for sociophonetic insights

Language is integrated into multiple dimensions of human behavior, and social work is essentially a language-centered activity. Although language plays a key role in many social work activities, few studies have explored its significance from the perspective of differences. This paper introduces the process of language conceptualization in social work and points out the limitations of some existing conceptual perspectives in the multilingual context in which language and social work are viewed. In English language variation, language variation mainly includes dialect, stress, register and variation. Dialects are the starting point of the study of language variation, so this paper takes dialects as a representative to study this field. First, the definition of language variation and its related factors are introduced and discussed, and how to define and study language variation is further discussed. Second, dialects are taken as a representative area to delve deeper into language variation. The different types and features of dialects are analyzed. Finally, the influence of dialects and language variation on education, society and other aspects is reviewed, highlighting some of the important effects observed in previous research.

Structural, Semantic, and Pragmatic of Code-Switching in the Speech of Secondary School and University Students – A Secondary Publication

Code-switching is a complex phenomenon that varies in structure, semantics, and pragmatics in different communicative situations. The study aims to identify structural, semantic, and pragmatic characteristics of code-switching in the speech of Russian schoolchildren and University students learning English and German as foreign languages. The data are 157 utterances containing 165 code switches extracted from the oral spontaneous speech of 16 schoolchildren and 16 University students. Their bilingual speech samples were collected by means of non-participant observation and fixed with the help of a voice recorder for 32 hours (16 for schoolchildren and 16 for University students) from October to December 2021. Comparative analysis was used as the main method to interpret the features of schoolchildren’ and University students’ code-switching. The results of the research demonstrated that the most productive for schoolchildren were insertions proper and bare forms performing message-oriented pragmatic functions and intended to denote school objects associated with English classes. For University students most frequent structures were classical switches in the form of insertions properly performing message-oriented pragmatic functions. Semantically, code-switches among University students were more complicated since they were intended not only to denote specific University objects but also to express stylistically relevant shades of meaning. Though code-switching has already been studied within various frameworks, the correlation between structural, pragmatic, and semantic characteristics of code-switching in the speech of Russian-speaking school and University students has been under-researched, which provides originality of the present work.

`It's not just linguistically, there's much more going on': The experiences and practices of bilingual paediatric speech and language therapists in the UK.

Despite the high prevalence of bilingualism in the United Kingdom, few speech and language therapists (SLTs) are bilingual themselves. Most SLT research on bilingualism has generated knowledge to inform service delivery for bilingual clients, but few studies have investigated how being a bilingual SLT influences one's professional experiences and practices. Better understanding the unique positionality of bilingual SLTs can yield critical insights to meaningfully address issues of diversity, inclusion and equity in the profession. To investigate the experiences and practices of bilingual paediatric SLTs in the United Kingdom through the lens of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory-International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (CHAT-ICF), a new theoretical framework developed to conceptualise the activities of professionals working in the field of disability. In this qualitative study, 19 bilingual paediatric SLTs practising in the United Kingdom were interviewed individually. Participants were recruited through a snowball sampling strategy, and semi-structured interviews conducted online. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and following a hybrid inductive-deductive approach to map the results onto the CHAT-ICF framework. Six overarching components of the CHAT-ICF framework hosted the 12 sub-themes identified to capture the experiences and practices of bilingual SLTs: (1) Subject (intersectionality); (2) Tools (language skills, education, clinical resources); (3) Rules (systemic barriers, sense of responsibility); (4) Community (sense of inclusion); (5) Division of labour (parents, colleagues); and (6) Practice (empathy with children, holistic mindset, flexible approaches). The use of the CHAT-ICF theoretical lens revealed two fundamental structural phenomena: (1) the distribution of sub-themes across many components of CHAT-ICF demonstrated that being a bilingual SLT is a multifactorial experience; and (2) the chain reactions between sub-themes illustrated the dynamic nature of bilingual SLTs' experiences which can be harnessed to challenge marginalisation and promote equity in the profession. This is the first qualitative study to date to provide in-depth insights into the experiences and practices of bilingual SLTs in the United Kingdom. These insights can be mobilised to inform the meaningful inclusion of bilingual SLTs in workforce planning efforts and service development. Recommendations include using intersectional lenses, providing cultural and anti-racism awareness training to SLTs, developing more diverse clinical resources and flexible approaches for bilingual families, valuing bilingualism in recruitment processes and increasing accountability at the leadership level. Research giving voice to bilingual SLTs, and other underrepresented demographics in the SLT workforce, can catalyse action to promote a more diverse and inclusive profession in line with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' strategic vision 2022-2027. What is already known on the subject Most research on bilingualism in speech and language therapy is focused on issues related to service provision and delivery for bilingual clients with little consideration for bilingual speech and language therapists' (SLTs) unique positionality. A few survey studies have shown that bilingual SLTs report significantly higher competency and greater confidence when working with clients who speak multiple languages, but there are significant gaps in understanding how bilingualism impacts other aspects of their professional experiences. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This is the first study to provide in-depth insights into the experiences and practices of bilingual SLTs in the United Kingdom. We show that being bilingual profoundly impacts many aspects of their professional experiences, including their clinical identity, skillset, sense of inclusion in the workplace, work relationships and clinical approaches. Bilingual SLTs expressed developing trust relationships with bilingual families and adopting flexible approaches to account for their clients' environmental factors, all of which can contribute to more equitable SLT services. This study also makes a novel contribution by proposing and using the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory-International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (CHAT-ICF) framework to conceptualise and investigate SLTs' experiences and practices. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study provides evidence-based recommendations to inform progress towards the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' strategic vision 2022-2027 and the diversification of the profession. Actions to support bilingual SLTs and diversify the profession include shifting a rigid mindset of linguistic and cultural `competence' to self-growth and awareness, developing more diverse clinical resources and flexible approaches for bilingual families, valuing bilingualism in SLT recruitment processes and career progression and increasing accountability and leadership around issues of diversity in the workplace. The novel CHAT-ICF framework has the potential to be used to support therapists' reflexivity in their practice or structure audits of rehabilitation services. Intersectionality theories and transformative processes can catalyse positive change in clinical services and research around bilingualism.

Do you say uh or uhm? A cross-linguistic approach to filler particle use in heritage and majority speakers across three languages.

Filler particles like uhm in English or ähm in German show subtle language-specific differences and their variation in form is related to socio-linguistic variables like gender. The use of fillers in a second language has been shown to differ from monolinguals' filler particle use in both frequency and form in different language contexts. This study investigates the language-specific use of filler particles by bilingual heritage speakers in both their languages, looking at the dominant majority language in the society and their minority heritage language spoken at home. This is done based on heritage Russian and German data and majority German and English data from the RUEG corpus. Language-specific fillers were extracted from the corpus and analyzed for their occurrence and segmental form. The frequency analysis suggests an influence of bilingualism, age group, and formality of the situation on the filler frequency across all languages. The number of filler particles is higher in formal, older, and bilingual speech. The form analysis reveals an effect of language and gender on the type of filler particle. The vocalic-nasal filler particles (e.g., uhm) are more frequently found in German and English and in female speech of these languages. Heritage speakers of Russian in contact with German and English show higher use of vocalic-nasal forms also in their Russian while producing similar gender related patterns to monolingual speakers in both their languages. The higher frequency of filler particles in formal situations, older speakers and in bilingual speech, is discussed related to cognitive load which is assumed to be higher in these contexts while speech style which differs between situations and social groups is also considered as explanation. The higher use of vocalic-nasal filler particles in German and English suggests language specific filler particle preferences also related to the socio-linguistic variable gender in these languages. The results from heritage speakers suggest and influence on filler particle form in their heritage language, while also revealing socio-linguistic usage patterns related to gender which are produced by heritage speakers similarly to monolinguals in their respective language.