Lecture 12

Question 1

What do we know about bilingualism?

Answer 1

• > 50% of the world’s population,
  ~20% of Canadians!
• “Simultaneous”/”Crib”
  Bilinguals: learning 2
  languages from birth
• “Sequential” Bilinguals: learn 1
  language first, then a 2nd

the majority of childre across the world grow up learning more than one language.

we often distinguish between 2 types of bilinguals.

Question 2

Why can bilingualism be a bit of a challenge?

Answer 2

bilingualism is a challenge in language development. you have to learn 2 different forms, 2 sets of content, 2 sets of vocabulary. 2 sets of rules for use. You have to know how do I appropriately use language with other people.

Question 3

What do we think of when we think of bilingual communication?

Answer 3

Code-switching/code-mixing:

• By 2-4 years, bilingual children
  appear to appropriately apply
  languages based on their
  conversational partner

Conversations:

• Some evidence that bilingual
  children are better able to
  detect conversational
  violations!

monolinguals are less accurate at being able to detect who is rude.

one of the first things a child needs to learn how to do is who do I talk to in these different languages?

Question 4

is bilingualism good or bad?

Answer 4

In the 1920s-1950s,
studies presented
bilingual individuals as
scoring lower on
IQ/cognitive
assessments

(historically, the perspective was that bilingualism is bad. These showed that bilingual individuals tended to do worse on IQ tests. but the IQ tests were conducted in english and these people were often recent immigrants). in the 60s they tried to match samples in terms of socioeconomics etc and they found that. does bilingualism bring cognitive advantages?

In 1962, a hallmark
study (Peal & Lambert)
more evenly matched
bilingual & monolingual
samples, and found
that bilingual children
were greater in
cognitive abilities

(“…wider experiences in two cultures
have given him advantages that a
monolingual does not enjoy.
Intellectually his experience with
two language systems seems to
have left him with a mental
flexibility, a superiority in concept
formation, and a more diversified
set of mental abilities”
Peal & Lambert , 1962)

Question 5

What is a benefit of bilingualism? Are there advantages for everything?

Answer 5

• better perspective taking.
• • Executive function → planning and managing cognitive
    abilities
• Bilingualism is NOT
  associated with an
  advantage for everything
  (ie, IQ)
• The extent (& existence)
  of these advantages is
  still debated….

Question 6

can language and communication go beyond speech?

Answer 6

yes!

sign language!

Question 7

what do we know about signed languages?

Answer 7

• Share the same properties of
  language
• Rules of form
• Rules of use → different registers
  and dialects!
• Children exposed to signed
  languages → similar patterns of
  acquisition to spoken language

Question 8

is gesture a form of language? is it a form of communication?

Answer 8

no.

yes it is communication!

Question 9

what do gestures reflect?

Answer 9

thought.

• A “window into what children
  know”
• # of gestures → vocabulary(nouns)
• Gesture-speech mismatches
• Reflect verge of learning? →
  children who produce mismatches
  benefit most from instruction on
  that task