Bilingualism Flashcards
What is bilingualism?
The knowledge and use of two languages
What are the 3 types of bilinguals?
Native, simultaneous = Exposed to two languages from birth or a very early age
Native, sequential = Exposed to the second language during childhood
Sequential = Exposed to the second language after childhood
What is balanced and unbalanced bilingualism
Balanced = possess equal abilities in their two languages
Unbalanced = posses unequal abilities in their two languages
What specifies a second language learner ?
acquiring a 2nd language after the age of 4-5 years
What are the 3 differences between a second language learners and bilinguals
Context of acquisition
Age of acquisition
Degree of proficiency (skill)
What are Factors of bilingual language acquisition
amount of input in both languages
Source of input
Quality of input
Number of siblings (and order)
SES (socioeconomic status)
What is the shallow structure hypothesis (SSH)
Second language learners have a different language processing strategy to native speakers
- They reply on shallow representations like semantics/ pragmatics to comprehend sentences instead of “deep” structural features
What is the declarative procedural model?
L2 learners have Different memory systems for language
Declarative = knowledge of “what”
Procedural = knowledge of underlying rules
Changes in proficiency of language use will shift reliance on these memory systems
Early L2 learners = reliance on declarative
Longer use/ increased proficiency = reliance on procedural
What is the critical period hypothesis?
The ability to acquire language to a native proficiency declines beyond a certain age
L2 acquisition = the earlier the better but never impossible
Exercise hypothesis = use it or lose it
Maturational state hypothesis = Use it then lose it
What are linguistic disadvantages of early bilingualism
Bilinguals have worse English vocabulary than monolinguals
What are disadvantages of bilingualism in adulthood?
Lexical access
Bilinguals slower in naming pictures than monolinguals if they do not know the translation equivalent
Tot = Bilingual speakers report to experiencing more Tot states than monolingual speakers
What are linguistic advantages of early bilingualism
Advanced social communicative skills
What are non cognitive advantages of bilingualism in adulthood
Social identity
Travel
Intercultural understanding
Work
Economic and political
What are cognitive advantages of bilingualism in adulthood
- Executive functions
Inhibition/ attention
Flexibility/ tasking shifting
Memory
- Cognitive reserve (delayed onset of dementia)
What are the causes if cognitive advantages of bilingualism
Bilingual language use:
A life of resolving cross language competition can impact on cognition and brain networks responsible control mechanisms
How is cross language competition resolved?
Two general alternatives:
1 .Bilinguals develop skill in selectively attending to the critical information
- Bilinguals learn to inhibit irrelevant information
Describe bilingualism and grey matter in detail
- Bilinguals greater GM volume than monolinguals in inferior parietal lobe (IPL)
Within bilinguals: GM volume in IPL correlates with
- Proficiency in L2
- Age of acquisition
