7. Bilingualism

Question 1

Define bilingual

Answer 1

People who use more than on language or dialects in their everyday lives
(Grosjean, 2010)

Question 2

How are bilingual language networks arranged?

Answer 2

(Caramazza and Brones, 1979)
• Lexical decision task- largely overlapping area for networks
• Singles recognised faster than cognates due to higher frequency

Question 3

Are languages separate in the brain?

Answer 3

(Parker Jones et al., 2012)

Same network in processing, but some areas more active in bilinguals

Question 4

How do bilinguals select a language?

Answer 4

(Green, 1998)

Inhibitory control model

Question 5

How did bilingualism used to be seen?

Answer 5

Handicap up until 1962 when SES was controlled

Peak and Lambert, 1962
Outperformed in number of iq tasks

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of bilingualism?

Answer 6

• Smaller vocabulary
(Bialystok et al., 2011)
Larger sample than previously- 1738 children age 3 to 10

• Slower lexical retrieval

• Greater number of TOT states
(Gollan and Silverberg, 2001)
Hebrew-English bilinguals

Question 7

What are the advantages of bilingualism?

Answer 7

• Linguistic
• Cultural

• Cognitive
Executive function advantage
(Bialystok, 2010)
-> switching plans, inhibiting irrelevant information, controlling attentional resources

Also demonstrated advantage in number of tasks- stroop task, Simon task (Bialystok)

HOWEVER
(Paap et al., 2015)
Reviewed evidence and concluded advantages are overstated
- emphasised small sample sizes, SES, cultural differences
- 80% null results- not replicable

Question 8

How does bilingualism advantage aging?

Answer 8

Cognitive reserve in ageing
(Alladi et al., 2013)
• bilinguals from Hyderbad
• Later onset of dementia for multilinguals

(Bialystok et al., 2011)
• Higher WM density in bilinguals than monolinguals at later ages