Bilinguilism & Multilingualism Flashcards
Research on Bilinguals & Multilingual
- Most of the research is on bilinguals
- There is a lot of variation in exposure to multiple languages!
- The exposure to each language matters:
Amount of time
Number of individuals/social context
Balanced bi- or multilingual:
two (or more) native/fluent languages
Unabalnced bi- or multilingual exposure:
dominant in one (or more) language
Learning Multiple Languages
For a while, researchers thought that this problem might be too hard for young children, and stunt their vocabulary:
Monolinguals show higher English vocabulary scores
HOWEVER, When words from both languages are assessed, bilinguals actually show higher (total) vocab:
- Lower in each individual language
No overall vocabulary deficit for bilinguals
Receptive vocabulary:
understanding words
Productive vocabulary:
speaking words
There are some differences in the ways bilinguals learn language:
- Bilinguals rely less on mutual exclusivity (One label per object) to learn the meaning of words
- Trilinguals use mutual exclusivity even less!
Benefits of Bilingualism: Metalinguistic Awareness
- Bilingual children understand that labels are arbitrary conventions
- In a game of making up names for things, could you call the sun “the moon” and the moon “the sun”?
Monolinguals: 22% yes
Bilinguals: 70% yes
Benefits of Bilingualism: Phoneme Discrimination
Bilinguals can:
- Discriminate all phonemes in BOTH of their languages
- Better at discriminating phonemes from unfamiliar languages
- May be better at learning new phonemic distinctions as adults!
Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism
- Bilinguals have to constantly inhibit their non-used language
- Practice with inhibition and selective attention may lead to better executive function
Executive function = Inhibitory control, Selective attention, Working memory
How do you test executive function in children - Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS)
Requires children to learn a rule, and then inhibit that rule to implement a new rule
Example: Dimensional Change Card Sort Task
- Bilingual children perform better on the DCCS
Executive functioning benefits extend to infancy
Study:
- 7-month-olds taught a rule, then the rule is switched
- Measure anticipatory gaze
7-month-old bilinguals are better at switching to a new rule than their monolingual peers
- Bilinguals get later Alzheimer’s diagnoses
- Bilinguals can maintain cognitive functioning with worse brain atrophy
Social Benefits of Bilingualism
Children can code-switch and use each of their languages when communicating
Switching isn’t random: by 2-to-3 years old, bilingual children switch their language to resolve communication breakdowns
Bilinguals are better at taking their partner’s perspective in a social communication task
social communication task
Study:
4-6 year old children
Different objects within the cells of the grid
Some squares have blocked colors, and partner on the other side - a different perspective
The director asks, “Can you move the small car?”
Results:
Bilinguals are better at taking their partner’s perspective in a social communication task (fully bilingual and exposure)
The social benefits of bilingualism do not require speaking another language (exposure is enough)
Social benefits are likely separable from cognitive benefits
Performance on the social communication task is NOT related to performance on an executive function task (DCCS)
Social benefits may stem from different social experiences of bilingual and monolingual children
Ex: Bilinguals have to track other’s mental states: who understands each language
