Bilingual Switching Research Articles

Self-Perception of Code-Switching Among Kannada-English Bilingual Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter

Purpose: Language switch is one of the fluency strategies exhibited by bilingual adults who stutter (BAWS) to avoid stuttering. The present study aimed to compare the self-perceived code-switching (CS) behaviours between bilingual adults who do (BAWS) and do not stutter (BAWNS).Methods: Sixty Kannada-English Bilingual adults (30 BAWS and 30 BAWNS) participated in the study. The participants completed the adapted Bilingual Switching questionnaire (BSWQ) for assessing self-perceived CS behaviours.Results: The results of the current study indicated no significant difference in overall switching scores between BAWNS and BAWS. However, the mean score of L1 switch and L2 switch constructs was significantly higher for BAWNS than BAWS. On the contrary, the mean scores of contextual switching were significantly more for BAWS than BAWNS. It indicates that the BAWS use their switching behaviour in particular situations or environments more than BAWNS. In addition, the BAWS use language switching (LS) more voluntarily than BAWNS.Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggests that the intended switching in BAWS may be to avoid dysfluencies. Moreover, there was a significant difference across the stuttering severity on BSWQ scores, indicating the effect of stuttering severity in CS behaviours.

Domain-general cognitive control processes in bilingual switching: Evidence from midfrontal theta oscillations.

Language control in bilingual speakers is thought to be implicated in effectively switching between languages, inhibiting the non-intended language, and continuously monitoring what to say and what has been said. It has been a matter of controversy concerning whether language control operates in a comparable manner to cognitive control processes in non-linguistic domains (domain-general) or if it is exclusive to language processing (domain-specific). As midfrontal theta oscillations have been considered as an index of cognitive control, examining whether a midfrontal theta effect is evident in tasks requiring bilingual control could bring new insights to the ongoing debate. To this end, we reanalysed the EEG data from two previous bilingual production studies where Dutch-English bilinguals named pictures based on colour cues. Specifically, we focused on three fundamental control processes in bilingual production: switching between languages, inhibition of the nontarget language, and monitoring of speech errors. Theta power increase was observed in switch trials compared to repeat trials, with a midfrontal scalp distribution. However, no theta power difference was observed in switch trials following a shorter sequence of same-language trials compared to a longer sequence, suggesting a missing modulation of inhibitory control. Similarly, increased midfrontal theta power was observed when participants failed to switch to the intended language compared to correct responses. Altogether, these findings tentatively support the involvement of domain-general cognitive control mechanisms in bilingual switching.

Assessing effects of source text complexity on L2 learners’ interpreting performance: a dependency-based approach

Abstract Based on data from the English-Chinese interpretation corpus, we examined the relationship of source text complexity, captured using newly-developed dependency-based and traditional indices, to L2 learners’ interpreting performance captured using complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Best subsets regression and Poisson regression models yielded that the effectiveness of dependency-based indices including mean dependency distance, maximum dependency distance, dependency direction, and root distance, has been demonstrated across various dimensions of L2 learners’ performance. In contrast to the mixed results obtained from traditional indices, the consistent effect of dependency-based indices in these dimensions sheds light on the workings of cognitive processing. These findings provide preliminary support for the impact of dependency-based indices of source text on L2 learners’ interpreting performance, aiding in operationalizing task difficulty in L2 interpreting pedagogy. Moreover, they constitute product-based evidence for understanding bilingual switching.

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.

Cognitive Load and Translation Accuracy in Technology Assisted Simultaneous Interpreting Enabled by Artificial Intelligence

This paper uses eye-tracking research to examine the cognitive load and translation accuracy of simultaneous interpretering with and without technology-assisted in the direction of Chinese-to-English translation and to explore the moderating role of simultaneous interpreting ability. It was found that the new type of simultaneous interpreting assisted by speech recognition technology and machine translation technology can significantly reduce the cognitive load of student interpreters and improve the accuracy of translation. However, the advantages of technology-assisted simultaneous interpreting are not significant enough for professional interpreters compared with student interpreters. This paper explains the results of the study from the perspectives of memory pressure, bilingual switching pressure, and the “ceiling effect”.

The influence of bilingualism and bidialectalism on executive control: evidence from a short-term language switching training paradigm

ABSTRACT The present study compared bilingualism with bidialectalism in their respective impact on executive control, using a short-term language switching training paradigm for participants who were both bidialectals (Shanghainese-Mandarin Chinese) and bilinguals (Chinese-English). Twenty participants were assigned to a control group where no language switching was involved. Another twenty participants were assigned to an experimental group where language-switching training was applied in two ways: bidialectal-switching between Shanghainese and Mandarin Chinese, and bilingual-switching between Mandarin and English. Their executive control ability was tested via a Simon task before and after each type of language training. The results showed that bilingual switching could involve better executive control and subsequently led to better performance on the Simon task than bidialectal switching. Therefore, the association between language switching control and domain-general executive control could be affected by the languages involved in switching, thus shedding further light on the relations between linguistic and non-linguistic control mechanisms.

Cognitive and neural mechanisms of voluntary versus forced language switching in Chinese-English bilinguals: an fMRI study.

The ecological validity of bilingual code-switching has garnered increasing attention in recent years. Contrary to traditional studies that have focused on forced language switching, emerging theories posit that voluntary switching may not incur such a cost. To test these claims and understand differences between forced and voluntary switching, the present study conducted a systematic comparison through both behavioral and neural perspectives. Utilizing fMRI alongside picture-naming tasks, our findings diverge from prior work. Voluntary language switching not only demonstrated switching costs at the behavioral level but also significantly activated brain regions associated with inhibitory control. Direct comparisons of voluntary and forced language switching revealed no significant behavioral differences in switching costs, and both shared several common brain regions that were activated. On the other hand, a nuanced difference between the two types of language switching was revealed by whole-brain analysis: voluntary switching engaged fewer language control regions than forced switching. These findings offer a comprehensive view of the neural and behavioral dynamics involved in bilingual language switching, challenging prior claims that voluntary switching imposes no behavioral or neural costs, and thus providing behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of inhibitory control in voluntary language switching.

Putting language switching in context: Effects of sentence context and interlocutors on bilingual switching.

Many bilinguals switch languages in daily-life conversations. Although this usually happens within sentence context and with another speaker, most research on the cognitive mechanisms underlying the production of language switches has studied individual words. Here, we examined how context influences both switching frequency and the temporal cost associated with it. Sixty Bulgarian-English bilinguals named pictures in their language of choice without any context, in a sentence context, and in interaction with another (recorded) bilingual. Switching frequency was lower, and costs higher, when bilinguals switched languages with context than without context. This suggests switching costs were not an artifact of tasks without context. Furthermore, both switching frequency and costs correlated across the tasks. In addition, we examined the potential influence of sentence context and the conversation partner. Predictability in sentence context has previously been argued to reduce language competition, which in turn could influence switching. We therefore compared sentences with a predictable or unpredictable target word. As hypothesized, bilinguals were less likely to switch languages when a word was predictable in its sentence context, potentially because words in the other language were less active. The conversation partner's overall switching behaviour had little impact on a bilingual's general switching rate, showing relatively low global alignment. However, local alignment was observed as switching was influenced by the partner's switching in the immediately preceding utterance. Together, these findings show that while production tasks without context can reliably measure switching costs, studying effects of context is necessary to better capture a bilingual's language-switching behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Linking frequency to bilingual switch costs during real-time sentence comprehension

AbstractBilinguals experience processing costs when comprehending code-switches, yet the magnitude of the cost fluctuates depending on numerous factors. We tested whether switch costs vary based on the frequency of different types of code-switches, as estimated from natural corpora of bilingual speech and text. Spanish–English bilinguals in the U.S. read single-language and code-switched sentences in a self-paced task. Sentence regions containing code-switches were read more slowly than single-language control regions, consistent with the idea that integrating a code-switch poses a processing challenge. Crucially, more frequent code-switches elicited significantly smaller costs both within and across most classes of switch types (e.g., within verb phrases and when comparing switches at verb-phrase and noun-phrase sites). The results suggest that, in addition to learning distributions of syntactic and semantic patterns, bilinguals develop finely tuned expectations about code-switching behavior – representing one reason why code-switching in naturalistic contexts may not be particularly costly.

Code Switching and Code Mixing in Classroom Presentation of Indonesian EFL Students

Code switching and code mixing occur when bilinguals switch or mix language in speech or conversation. Some of the students used code switching and code mixing to avoid misunderstandings in their explanations. In addition, the researcher noted that the use of code switching and code mixing with Indonesia and English is done in a classroom presentation. Based on the issues, the purpose of this research is to find out the types and the reasons used code switching and code mixing of EFL students in the classroom presentation of UINSI Samarinda. This research used a descriptive qualitative design. The data and sources data of this research was TBI 3 in the fourth semester of the ESP course with 5 students. This research used the researcher itself as the main instrument and interview. The data were collected using an audio recorder. Based on the result, the researcher found that the most common code switching used by students was inter-sentential code switching. Next, code switching used by students were intra-sentential code switching and tag code switching. Moreover, the most common code mixing used by students was intra-sentential code mixing. After that, the second common code mixing used by students was involving a change of pronunciation. However, intra-lexical code mixing was not used by students in a classroom presentation. The students’ reasons used code switching and code mixing were talking about a particular topic, quoting somebody else, being emphatic about something, interjection, repetition used for clarification, and intention of clarifying the speech interlocutor.

Rapid attentional adaptations due to language (monolingual vs bilingual) context

Does our general attentional system adapt to the language context we are in? Bilinguals switch between contexts in which only one language is present or both languages are equiprobable. Previous research by Wu and Thierry (2013) suggested that the bilingual language context can modify the workings of inhibitory control mechanisms. Here we investigate whether this can be replicated and whether other attentional mechanisms (alerting and orienting) also adjust depending on whether we are in a bilingual or a monolingual situation. Bilinguals performed the Attentional Network Task (ANT) task, which allows us to measure three types of attentional processes: alerting, orienting and executive control. Crucially, while performing the ANT task, participants also saw words presented in only one language (e.g., Catalan; monolingual context) or in two languages (Catalan and Spanish; bilingual context); this allowed us to assess whether the three attentional processes would be modified by language context. Compared to the monolingual context, in the bilingual context the target-P3 amplitude was enhanced for the alerting and executive control networks but not for the orienting network. This suggests that bilinguals’ state of alertness was enhanced when surrounded by words from two languages. Exploratory analyses reveal that within the bilingual context, language switches have an alerting effect, as indexed by a greater target-N1, thus impacting upcoming visual processing of the flanker. Response hand activation is speeded up for congruent trials in a similar way that arbitrary alerting cues speed them up. This speed-up was reflected in a greater LRP in the bilingual context, but it was not reflected in behavioral measures (RTs or ACC). Thus, a bilingual context can enhance attentional capacity towards non-linguistic information. It also reveals how flexible the cognitive system is.

Inhibitory control training reveals a common neurofunctional basis for generic executive functions and language switching in bilinguals

BackgroundThe neural networks underpinning language control and domain-general executive functions overlap in bilinguals, but existing evidence is mainly correlative. Here, we present the first neurofunctional evidence for a transfer effect between (domain-general) inhibitory control and language control through training. We trained Chinese–English bilinguals for 8 days using a Simon task taxing the inhibitory control system, whilst an active control group was trained with a color judgment task that does not tax the inhibitory control system. All participants performed a language-switching task before and after training. It has been suggested that the activity of the left DLPFC was associated with domain-general top-down cognitive control (Macdonald et al. Science 288: 1835–1838, 2000) and bilingual language control (Wang et al. Neuroimage 35: 862–870, 2007). In addition, the dACC was closely related to the conflict detection (Abutalebi et al. Cereb Cortex 18:1496–1505, 2008). Last, the activity of the left caudate has been linked with lexical selection (Abutalebi et al. Cereb Cortex 18:1496–1505, 2008), especially the selection of the weak language (Abutalebi et al. Cortex 49: 905–911, 2013). Therefore, we focused on these three regions of interest (ROIs) where neural changes associated with transfer were expected to occur.ResultsThe results showed a negative correlation between changes in activation levels in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and changes in the switch cost magnitude in the language-switching task in the training group but not in the control group, suggesting that the DLPFC plays a critical role in the transfer effect from domain-general executive functions to language control. However, there was no measurable effect in the anterior cingulate cortex or left caudate nucleus, suggesting that the inhibitory control training increased the neural efficiency for language production in bilinguals in terms of attention shifting and conflict resolution, but the training did not affect conflict detection and lexical selection.ConclusionThese findings showed how cognitive training evidence can help establish a causational link between the neural basis of domain-general executive functions and language control in bilinguals.

Voluntary Language Switching in the Context of Bilingual Aphasia.

As studies of bilingual language control (BLC) seek to explore the underpinnings of bilinguals’ abilities to juggle two languages, different types of language switching tasks have been used to uncover switching and mixing effects and thereby reveal what proactive and reactive control mechanisms are involved in language switching. Voluntary language switching tasks, where a bilingual participant can switch freely between their languages while naming, are being utilized more often due to their greater ecological validity compared to cued switching paradigms. Because this type of task had not yet been applied to language switching in bilingual patients, our study sought to explore voluntary switching in bilinguals with aphasia (BWAs) as well as in healthy bilinguals. In Experiment 1, we replicated previously reported results of switch costs and mixing benefits within our own bilingual population of Catalan-Spanish bilinguals. With Experiment 2, we compared both the performances of BWAs as a group and as individuals against control group performance. Results illustrated a complex picture of language control abilities, indicating varying degrees of association and dissociation between factors of BLC. Given the diversity of impairments in BWAs’ language control mechanisms, we highlight the need to examine BLC at the individual level and through the lens of theoretical cognitive control frameworks in order to further parse out how bilinguals regulate their language switching.

Language proficiency, sociolinguistic factors and inhibitory control among bilinguals

Bilingualism interacts with cognitive control mechanisms, particularly inhibitory control. It is believed that language proficiency as a measure of the degree of bilingualism may influence inhibitory control. However, this interaction is modulated by sociolinguistic factors associated with bilingual experience. We examined the relationship between language proficiency and inhibitory control and the influence of sociolinguistic factors by comparing high and low proficient Hindi–English bilinguals, and by using a correlational design. A standard go/no-go task with varying proportions of go and no-go trials was used. Study-1 showed that age of acquisition, language use in formal/informal setting, and bilingual switching influenced the interaction between L2 proficiency and inhibitory control. In general, high proficient bilinguals were better at regulating inhibitory control when the demand on inhibition was high compared to that of low proficient bilinguals. Study-2 showed that contextual switching and setting-based use of L2 predicted inhibitory control in a high monitoring condition while use of L1 predicted inhibitory control irrespective of inhibitory demands. However, contextual switching strengthened the interaction between L2 proficiency and inhibitory control whereas use of L1 moderated the relationship between L1 proficiency and inhibitory control. We did not find a significant effect of non-language variables such as fluid intelligence, socioeconomic status, and participation in skilled activities on the relationship between language proficiency and inhibitory control. We emphasize on the role of both L1 and L2 proficiency and the use of a correlational design to investigate the relationship between bilingualism and inhibitory control.

Effect of Picture-Book Reading With Additive Audio on Bilingual Preschoolers' Prefrontal Activation: A Naturalistic Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

Acquiring a second language (L2) has the power to shape cognition and even the function and structure of the brain. Picture-book reading with additive audio (PRA) is a popular and convenient means of providing L2 exposure for non-balanced bilingual children; however, its contribution to bilingual children’s brain activity is unclear. This study conducted a rigorous bilingual word comprehension experiment and a naturalistic PRA task to explore the effect of L2 processing on brain activation among English as a foreign language (EFL) preschoolers, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We found that the two contexts of comprehending English words and bilingual switching (BS), which impose more cognitive control demands, activated the prefrontal cortex (PFC) more than did the condition of comprehending Chinese words. Furthermore, the effect of PFC activity in the condition of picture-book reading with additive English audio (English PRA) was also found to be greater than in the condition of picture-book reading with additive Chinese audio (Chinese PRA); moreover, the effect was modulated by story difficulty. Finally, a positive correlation was shown between EFL children’s English competence and PFC activation through English PRA. This study indicates that the experiences of hearing L2 auditory stories in a picture-book reading activity yielded significant changes to early bilinguals’ PFC functional for cognitive control and language processing.

Bilingual switching between languages and listeners: Insights from immersive virtual reality

Perhaps the main advantage of being bilingual is the capacity to communicate with interlocutors that have different language backgrounds. In the life of a bilingual, switching interlocutors hence sometimes involves switching languages. We know that the capacity to switch from one language to another is supported by control mechanisms, such as task-set reconfiguration. This study investigates whether similar neurophysiological mechanisms support bilingual switching between different listeners, within and across languages. A group of 48 unbalanced Dutch-English bilinguals named pictures for two monolingual Dutch and two monolingual English life-size virtual listeners in an immersive virtual reality environment. In terms of reaction times, switching languages came at a cost over and above the significant cost of switching from one listener to another. Analysis of event-related potentials showed similar electrophysiological correlates for switching listeners and switching languages. However, it was found that having to switch listeners and languages at the same time delays the onset of lexical processes more than a switch between listeners within the same language. Findings are interpreted in light of the interplay between proactive (sustained inhibition) and reactive (task-set reconfiguration) control in bilingual speech production. It is argued that a possible bilingual advantage in executive control may not be due to the process of switching per se. This study paves the way for the study of bilingual language switching in ecologically valid, naturalistic, experimental settings.

Progresses in the understanding of bilingual switching mechanisms based on neuroimaging techniques

In the field of bilingualism research, a key scientific question is how bilinguals process two language systems, particularly the effective switch from one language to another, namely bilingual code switching. With the rapid development of neuroimaging techniques, important progresses have been made in bilingual processing studies, especially in code switching. However, consensus has not been achieved regarding the mechanisms of bilingual code switching. Bilingual switching studies using neuropsychological and neuroimaging techniques have gained insights into the temporal and spatial features of the language switching process and the neurological mechanism, which provide direct evidence for the generation mechanism of bilingual code switching.

Third-language learning affects bilinguals’ production in both their native languages: A longitudinal study of dynamic changes in L1, L2 and L3 vowel production

This study examined the impact of a study abroad (SA) English program on English and native vowel production. Basque-Spanish bilingual adolescents were assessed on their vowel production in English, Basque and Spanish before the SA program, the day after the program was completed, and four months later. The results revealed that after the SA program, participants’ English vowels were acoustically closer to English norms, revealing the effectiveness of SA programs in improving English vowel pronunciation. Yet, four months later, these benefits had faded, showing that regular input and active language use are required to maintain accurate pronunciation. SA also had effects on native production: bilingual participants showed assimilatory acoustic drift in both their languages towards the English vowel system; the extent of this drift was negatively correlated with improvements in English pronunciation. However, four months later, participants showed a ‘return’ drift towards their native norms. The results also revealed that usage frequency and switching habits played a ‘protective’ role: Frequent switching in bilinguals made the dominant native language less vulnerable to foreign-language influence. Our results suggest that factors related to the frequency and circumstances of native language use are key to authenticity in native language production.

How do bilinguals switch between languages in different interactional contexts? A comparison between voluntary and mandatory language switching

AbstractHow bilinguals switch between languages depends on the context. In a voluntary context, bilinguals are free to decide when to switch, whereas in a cued context they are instructed when to switch. While using two languages may be more costly than using one in cued switching ('mixing cost'), recent evidence suggests that voluntarily using two languages may be less effortful than using one ('mixing benefit'). Direct comparisons between mandatory and voluntary switching, however, are needed to better understand the effects of the interactional context on bilingual language control. The current study compared mandatory and voluntary switching within the same task, thus keeping the overall task characteristics the same. We observed overall slower mandatory responses and larger mandatory than voluntary mixing and switching effects. Thus, using two languages is more costly in a mandatory than voluntary context, showing that the interactional context can affect the effort needed to control two languages.

Language control and lexical access in diglossic speech production: Evidence from variety switching in speakers of Swiss German

Diglossic speakers of two varieties of a language switch between their language varieties as bilinguals do between their languages, instead of having the otherwise typical probabilistic distributions of variants across varieties. To investigate the mechanisms involved in diglossic language control and lexical access, we conducted two switching experiments, in which participants who were highly proficient in the two varieties, or languages, named pictures in Swiss German or Standard German (Experiment 1), or in Swiss German or Tamil (Experiment 2), with pictures having cognate or non-cognate names in Swiss German and Standard German. The overall magnitude of switch costs in diglossic switching was comparable to switch costs in bilingual switching. Switch costs were asymmetric, favouring switching into the sociolinguistically preferred variety (Swiss German) in Experiment 1 and the slightly less dominant language (Tamil) in Experiment 2. Cognate gains were higher for Swiss German than Standard German and occurred even for Tamil responses. These results are compatible with a model that assumes that diglossic switching is influenced by similar mechanisms of language control as bilingual switching, that inhibitory processes are involved, that the amount of lexical inhibition depends on the relative strengths of lexical representations and on top-down control, and that diglossic cognates have integrated lexical representations.