Bilingualism and 2nd Language Acquisition

Flashcards about Bilingualism and 2nd Language Acquisition

Bilingual

Fluent in two languages; habitual, fluent, correct, and accent-free use of two languages.

Bilingual (Grosjean, 1982)

Someone who needs and uses more than two languages in everyday life.

Bilingual Advantages

No long-term disadvantages from learning two languages; total bilingual vocabulary greater than monolingual.

Bilingual Disadvantages

Slight deficit in cognitive and memory processing in second language; potential interference effects between languages.

Interference between Languages

Mixing words from different languages at phonological, lexical, and syntactic levels.

Code Switching

Substituting a word or phrase from one language with a phrase or word from another language. Systemic rather than random and follows grammatical rules.

Code Switching – Processing cost

May be due to a “mental switch mechanism” that determines which of the bilingual’s two mental dictionaries are “on” or “off” during language comprehension.

Code Switching - advantages

Impact on cognition outside of language like task switching and inhibition processes (e.g., Stroop task, flanker task).

Frequency of usage

How often and in what contexts you use the two languages; “use it or lose it” - language attrition.

Mode of acquisition

Native bilingualism, Immersion, Submersion.

Immersion

Schooling provided in a non-native language.

Submersion

One learner surrounded by non-native speakers.

Language Order

Early exposure (critical period) or Late Sequential.

Languages are not equal - interdependent

Increasing L2 may impair L1; Deficit in L2 compared to L1.

Pinker, 1994, The language instinct

Language acquisition circuitry is not needed once it has been used. It should be dismantled if keeping it around incurs any cost.

Characteristics with biologically triggered behavior (Aitchison, 1998)

It emerges before it is necessary; development does not result from a conscious intention; it goes through a series of stages.

Non-human critical periods

Imprinting in ducks, Visual orientation selectivity in cats, Song learning in some birds, Visuo-motor co-ordination in the barn owl.

Curious case of the Chaffinch

Basic tune innately acquired; Rhythm and pitch learnt.

Effect of age of acquisition on 2nd Language

Accent in L2 production; Tests of grammar in Korean immigrants to the USA.

Loss of plasticity - crystallisation

In neural circuits for language due to maturation.

Interference

Competition from L1 prevents acquisition of L2.

Age effect on L2 acquisition

The later L2 “comes in”, the less the system can “perturbed”.

If L1 is “crystallised” during acquisition

Traces of L1; L2 still processes as a non-native.

Studies of foreign adoptees (Pallier et al. 2003)

Young adults of Korean origin adopted by French families at ages ranging from 3 yrs to 10 yrs.

Studies of foreign adoptees (Bowers et al. 2009)

Adults who were exposed to either Zulu or Hindu in childhood but have no explicit knowledge of these languages in adulthood.

Linck, Kroll, & Sunderman (2009)

Native English speakers studying Spanish as the L2, one group immersed in the L2 environment and other in the classroom in monolingual environment.

How do bilinguals represent multiple languages?

Separate lexica connected at semantic levels or shared conceptual representations.

Common Stores Models

Words from both languages in same store.

Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994)

Lexical links Stronger in L2 to L1 than L1 to L2; Semantic access for translation Indirect slower L2 to L1 Direct links between lexical entries Word association.

Experimental evidence against RHM

Less fluent bilinguals faster at forward than backwards translation (De Groot & Poot, 1997); across language stroop.

Development in Bilingual Interactive Activation (Grainger & Dijkstra, 1992)

Links between L1 and L2; Replacement of excitatory with inhibitory connections; Knowledge of the language of a particular word form.