W11 - bilingualism Flashcards
What is bilingualism?
Knowledge and use of two languages.
What are the types of bilinguals?
Native simultaneous, native sequential, sequential, balanced, and unbalanced.
What is the difference between balanced and unbalanced bilinguals?
Balanced bilinguals have equal proficiency; unbalanced do not.
How common is bilingualism globally?
Over half of the global population is bilingual.
How does François Grosjean (1998) define key bilingual dimensions?
History, stability, use, competence, modes, and biographical data.
What did Grosjean (1998) state about bilingualism in the brain?
A bilingual is not two monolinguals combined; they have unique linguistic configurations.
How does socioeconomic status (SES) impact bilingualism?
Grosjean highlighted SES affects language access and outcomes, influencing comparisons between bilinguals and monolinguals.
What factors influence bilingual language acquisition?
Input quality, linguistic distance, SES, gender, and family dynamics.
What does ‘input source’ mean in bilingual acquisition?
The role caregivers and other speakers play in language exposure.
How does linguistic distance affect learning a second language?
Greater linguistic differences make acquisition more challenging.
What does Clahsen & Felser’s (2006) Shallow Structure Hypothesis propose?
L2 learners use semantic/pragmatic cues over deep grammatical structures.
What is the Declarative-Procedural Model, and who proposed it?
Paradis (2004) and Ullman (2001, 2016) explained declarative memory handles vocabulary, procedural memory handles grammar.
What did Tanner et al. (2013) discover about EEG responses in proficient L2 learners?
Their P600 morphosyntactic responses resemble native speakers.
What did Floccia et al. (2018) find about bilingual vocabulary development?
Vocabulary depends on linguistic input and environmental factors.
What are the two key hypotheses under the Critical Period Hypothesis?
Exercise Hypothesis and Maturational State Hypothesis.
What does ‘use it or lose it’ imply in language learning?
The Exercise Hypothesis states language ability declines if not practiced during the critical period.
Who proposed the Critical Period Hypothesis, and what does it state?
Lenneberg (1967) suggested native-level language learning is easiest during a critical developmental window.
What did Johnson and Newport’s (1989) study on L2 learners conclude?
Earlier exposure leads to more native-like grammar proficiency.
What factors confound critical period studies, as per Johnson and Newport?
Duration, quality, and setting of input, along with native-speaking peers.
What is metalinguistic awareness, and how is it affected by bilingualism?
Awareness of language structure and grammar; enhanced in bilinguals.
How does early bilingualism affect vocabulary size in toddlers?
Smaller vocabulary in each language but comparable total vocabulary.
What did Hoff et al. (2012) observe about bilingual toddlers’ vocabulary?
Smaller English vocabularies but similar total vocabulary across both languages.
What advantage did Galambos & Hakuta (1988) find in bilingual children?
Better metalinguistic awareness, such as error detection and correction.
What did Fan et al. (2015) discover about bilinguals in multilingual environments?
Better perspective-taking and theory of mind than monolinguals.
How does bilingualism enhance career opportunities?
Bilinguals can access jobs requiring multiple languages, enhancing economic mobility.
How does bilingualism contribute to cultural understanding?
Promotes intercultural understanding and social cohesion.
What are executive functions, and how does bilingualism affect them?
Mental processes like inhibition and task-switching; bilinguals show improvement in these areas.
How does bilingualism influence cognitive reserve?
Strengthens brain networks, delaying conditions like dementia.
How do bilinguals handle cognitive tasks compared to monolinguals?
More efficient in tasks requiring conflict monitoring and task-switching.
What is code-switching, and why is it significant?
Alternating between languages; it reflects proficient cognitive control.
What mechanisms help bilinguals resolve language competition?
Selective attention and inhibition.
What is ‘language mode’ in bilingualism?
The proportion of L1 and L2 used in monolingual or bilingual contexts.
How does biographical data influence bilingual profiles?
Age, SES, and education shape language acquisition and use.
What is the difference between monolingual and bilingual language use?
Bilinguals often adapt language use to social and contextual needs, unlike monolinguals.
What economic benefit of bilingualism was reported by the British Academy (2015)?
Language diversity in workplaces saves billions annually.
What did Costa et al. (2008) find about executive functions in bilinguals?
Reduced incongruency effects in flanker tasks.
What did Prior & MacWhinney (2010) discover about bilingual task-switching?
Smaller cognitive costs due to experience switching between languages.
How did Wodniecka et al. (2010) link bilingualism to memory?
Older bilinguals showed enhanced recollection of words and faces.
What did Woumans et al. (2015) find about dementia onset in bilinguals?
It is delayed by approximately 5 years.
What did Alladi et al. (2016) conclude about bilingualism and post-stroke recovery?
Bilinguals exhibit improved outcomes compared to monolinguals.
How does Abutalebi et al. (2012) describe bilinguals’ ACC activation?
Bilinguals activate smaller portions of the ACC, indicating more efficient conflict monitoring.
What did Mechelli et al. (2004) find about grey matter in bilinguals?
Bilinguals have greater density in the inferior parietal lobe, correlating with L2 proficiency.
How does bilingualism affect white matter integrity, as per Pliatsikas et al. (2015)?
Enhances integrity of white matter tracts, aiding executive control.
What challenges did Paap et al. (2016) identify regarding bilingual cognitive advantages?
Replication failures and inconsistent bilingualism definitions.
What does the Critical Period Hypothesis state?
Native-level language learning is easier during a critical developmental window.
What does Clahsen & Felser’s (2006) Shallow Structure Hypothesis explain?
L2 learners rely more on semantics than grammar.
What did Costa et al. (2008) find regarding bilinguals?
Bilinguals had reduced incongruency effects in flanker tasks.
What did Mechelli et al. (2004) discover about bilinguals’ grey matter?
Bilinguals have greater grey matter density in the inferior parietal lobes.
