Psy1306 Psy1306 Language and ThoughtLanguage and Thought

BilingualismBilingualism

Why study Why study bilingualism?bilingualism? Multilinguals > MonolingualsMultilinguals > Monolinguals # grow up monolingual = # grow up # grow up monolingual = # grow up

bilingualbilingual More children educated in 2nd or 3rd More children educated in 2nd or 3rd

language than in 1stlanguage than in 1st Multilingual countriesMultilingual countries

– US: min 14.3 million spanish/english bilingualsUS: min 14.3 million spanish/english bilinguals– Eritrea: educated in Tigrigna, Arabic, EnglishEritrea: educated in Tigrigna, Arabic, English– India: 15 official languages, 1,650 spokenIndia: 15 official languages, 1,650 spoken– New Guinea: 870 languages, typical person New Guinea: 870 languages, typical person

speaks 3 languagesspeaks 3 languages

Slides 2-16 from M. Le Corre.

Why study Why study bilingualism?bilingualism? Test limits of human cognition & Test limits of human cognition &

language faculty language faculty – Is language faculty “monolingual” or Is language faculty “monolingual” or

“multilingual”?“multilingual”?– Does learning a second language Does learning a second language

cause developmental delays?cause developmental delays?

Bilingual first Bilingual first language acquisitionlanguage acquisition Mish-mash theory: Mish-mash theory:

– Unitary LAD initially treats two Unitary LAD initially treats two languages as single language and languages as single language and mashes them up. Differentiate later.mashes them up. Differentiate later.

Differentiation theory:Differentiation theory:– We are all born multilingual! We are all born multilingual!

Distinguish languages from the start Distinguish languages from the start and keep them separate.and keep them separate.

Mish-mash or Mish-mash or DifferentiationDifferentiation PhonologyPhonology Lexical/semantic developmentLexical/semantic development Bilingual grammar developmentBilingual grammar development Pragmatic developmentPragmatic development

– Sensitive to language of interlocutor?Sensitive to language of interlocutor?

PhonologyPhonology

Supra-segmental features (rhythm, Supra-segmental features (rhythm, stress-timing) of babbling: stress-timing) of babbling: – English and French have different supra-English and French have different supra-

segmental featuressegmental features e.g. English: KINGdom (e.g. English: KINGdom (first first syllable syllable longer, longer,

louder, higher pitchedlouder, higher pitched) ) e.g French: surprise (syllables e.g French: surprise (syllables same pitch and same pitch and

loudnessloudness but but lastlast syllable longer) syllable longer)

PhonologyPhonology

Do French/English babies distinguish Do French/English babies distinguish these supra-segmental patterns? these supra-segmental patterns? (Maneva (Maneva & Genesee, 2002)& Genesee, 2002)

– YES!!YES!! Babbling with French father: shows phonological Babbling with French father: shows phonological

features of Frenchfeatures of French Babbling with English mother: shows phonological Babbling with English mother: shows phonological

features of Frenchfeatures of French

French/English word French/English word segmentation segmentation (Polka & (Polka & Sundara, 2003)Sundara, 2003) 9 French/English 8-month olds9 French/English 8-month olds Use Juscyck Headturn Preference Use Juscyck Headturn Preference

paradigmparadigm– Familiarize to bisyllabic word (e.g. Familiarize to bisyllabic word (e.g.

kingdom or beret)kingdom or beret)– Test passages Test passages

In French for French fam., in English for English In French for French fam., in English for English fam.fam.

With familiarized word (beret or kingdom)With familiarized word (beret or kingdom) Without familiarized word (devis or hamlet)Without familiarized word (devis or hamlet)

– Test whether headturn times are differentTest whether headturn times are different

Bilingual babies are Bilingual babies are not confused!not confused!

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Lexical DevelopmentLexical Development

Mutual Exclusivity/principle of Mutual Exclusivity/principle of contrastcontrast– Essence: no two words have the same Essence: no two words have the same

meaningmeaning

What should happen if mish-mash? What should happen if mish-mash? – No translation equivalents!No translation equivalents!

1-year old bilinguals restrict 1-year old bilinguals restrict Mutual Exclusivity to each Mutual Exclusivity to each language!language!

0

20

40

60

80

100

Fren

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h 1;

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h 1;

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Fren

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Engl

ish-

Span

ish

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ish-

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ish

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ish-

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ish

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ish-

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ish

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From Petitto, 2001

SyntaxSyntax

How can we tell whether children How can we tell whether children have distinct grammars or just a have distinct grammars or just a mish-mash?mish-mash?

How early do we want to look?How early do we want to look?– Two-word combinations Two-word combinations

SyntaxSyntax

How can we tell whether children have two How can we tell whether children have two distinct grammars or just a mish-mash?distinct grammars or just a mish-mash?– Look at lexically unilingual utterances (De Houwer, Look at lexically unilingual utterances (De Houwer,

2005)2005) Contrasting structures:Contrasting structures:

– French vs. English: NegationFrench vs. English: Negation– ““I do I do NOTNOT likelike peas” & “J’ peas” & “J’aimeaime PASPAS les pois” les pois”– Diff: keep negation syntax separateDiff: keep negation syntax separate– MM: mix-up systemsMM: mix-up systems

“ “I I likelike NOTNOT peas” & “Je peas” & “Je PASPAS aimeaime les pois” les pois” Same structure: emerge at same or different Same structure: emerge at same or different

time?time?– E.g. conjugated (finite) vs. infinitive (non-E.g. conjugated (finite) vs. infinitive (non-

finite)finite)

Review of 15+ Review of 15+ longitudinal studies longitudinal studies (De (De Houwer, 2005)Houwer, 2005)

29 children, ages 1 to 6 29 children, ages 1 to 6 One parent, one languageOne parent, one language

Spanish/Basque, French/Swedish, French/English Spanish/Basque, French/Swedish, French/English Latvian/English, Japanese/Engiish, Italian/English… Latvian/English, Japanese/Engiish, Italian/English…

Multiple aspects of syntax studiedMultiple aspects of syntax studied– Gender, pronouns, verb morphology, Gender, pronouns, verb morphology,

negation, word order…negation, word order… ALLALL children keep syntactic systems children keep syntactic systems

separate for all dimensions studiedseparate for all dimensions studied– E.g French/English don’t mix up negation E.g French/English don’t mix up negation

syntax (Paradis & Genesee, 1996)syntax (Paradis & Genesee, 1996)

Bimodal 2 year-olds keep Bimodal 2 year-olds keep grammars separate in real grammars separate in real time!time! Take children who speak French & sign in Take children who speak French & sign in

Langue des Signes QuLangue des Signes Québécoiseébécoise Look at times when sign & speak at same Look at times when sign & speak at same

time. What happens?time. What happens? Simultaneous speak/sign have distinct word Simultaneous speak/sign have distinct word

order!order!

SpokenSpoken My dogMy dog My friendMy friend Cow small Cow small cowcow

SignedSigned dog mydog my Friend myFriend my Small cow Small cow cowcow

Petitto et al., 2001

Bilingualism & NeurolinguisticsBilingualism & NeurolinguisticsKim, Relkin, Lee, & Hirsch Kim, Relkin, Lee, & Hirsch (1997)(1997)

Task: Have bilinguals imagine Task: Have bilinguals imagine speaking in one language. Then speaking in one language. Then imagine speaking in the other imagine speaking in the other language.language.

Vary: late and early bilingualsVary: late and early bilinguals

Bilingualism & NeurolinguisticsBilingualism & NeurolinguisticsKim, Relkin, Lee, & Hirsch Kim, Relkin, Lee, & Hirsch (1997)(1997)

Broca’s Area: Areas quite distinct for Late Bilinguals, but high overlap for Early Bilinguals.Wernicke’s Area: High overlap for both late and early bilinguals.

Two LexiconsTwo Lexicons

L1

L1

L1

L1 L1

L1

L1

L1L2 L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

Language 1Language 2

Slides Adapted from Bialystok

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Receptive VocabularyReceptive Vocabulary

PPVT (Peabody PPVT (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Picture Vocabulary Test)Test)– Examiner provides Examiner provides

meaning, and meaning, and Examinee picks Examinee picks picture.picture.

Combined # of Ss: Combined # of Ss: N=528N=528– 5 y.o. = 975 y.o. = 97– 6 y.o. = 3416 y.o. = 341– 7 y.o. = 567 y.o. = 56– 8 y.o. = 348 y.o. = 34

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Score

Two LexiconsTwo Lexicons

L1

L1

L1

L1 L1

L1

L1

L1L2 L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

Attend

Ignore

Slides Adapted from Bialystok

Causing lexical conflict!

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Lexical RetrievalLexical Retrieval

Boston Picture Boston Picture NamingNaming

Letter and category Letter and category fluencyfluency– Name words that Name words that

begin with “F”begin with “F”– Name words in the Name words in the

category “Animals”category “Animals”

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Two LexiconsTwo Lexicons

L1

L1

L1

L1 L1

L1

L1

L1L2 L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

L2

AttendIgnore

Switching requires executive control.

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Pre-frontal Cortex and Pre-frontal Cortex and Executive FunctionExecutive Function

http://vvi.onstreammedia.com/cgi-bin/visearch?user=pbs-saf&template=play220asf.html&query=%2A&squery=%2BClipID%3A3+%2BVideoAsset%3Apbssaf1302&inputField=%20&entire=No&ccstart=608200&ccend=1421260&videoID=pbssaf1302

““Why kids don’t get Why kids don’t get it”it”

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Development of Executive Development of Executive ProcessesProcesses

Last area of brain (frontal lobes) to mature

Last cognitive skills to develop in childhood, first to decline with aging

Children typically develop control over attention and inhibition at about 5 years

Experience in managing two languages may promote this development

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Sorting TasksSorting TasksBialystok (1999); Bialystok & Martin (2004)(4.5 y.o. – 6.5 y.o.)

Perceptual yellow vs. green square vs. circle

Conceptual play things vs. clothing things inside the house vs.

things outside the house.

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Post-Switch ScoresPost-Switch ScoresBialystok (1999); Bialystok & Martin (2004)

* NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONO & BI PRE-SWITCH!!!

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Embedded vs. Reversible Embedded vs. Reversible FiguresFiguresBialystok & Shapero (2005) 5 ½years olds

– 27 Monolinguals– 26 Bilinguals

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Embedded FigureReversible Figures

Embedded vs. Reversible Embedded vs. Reversible FiguresFiguresBialystok & Shapero (2005) Embedded Figure Task requires pattern analysis

to find the hidden component. There is no conflict.

Reversible Figure Task requires re-assigning a meaning that conflicts with the current interpretation. – It must stop being “a face” for the image to reverse to

“saxophone player”.

Effect of bilingualism advantage is in processing conflict – i.e., Ambiguous Figure Task

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Simon TaskSimon Task

When you see RED, tap with your right hand.

When you see BLUE, tap with your left hand.

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Simon TaskSimon TaskMartin & BialystokMartin & Bialystok

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

(Incongruent – Congruent)

Bilingualism and Aging: Simon Bilingualism and Aging: Simon TaskTaskBialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan (2004)Bialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan (2004)

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Control Data by DecadeControl Data by Decade

* Groups matched by intelligence test, language proficiency, & working memory.

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Bilingualism and Aging: Simon Bilingualism and Aging: Simon TaskTaskBialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan (2004)Bialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan (2004)

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Simon Task Data by Simon Task Data by DecadeDecade

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Stroop Task: Word Stroop Task: Word ConditionCondition

blackblack

greengreen

redred

blueblue

blackblack

blueblue

greengreen

blueblue

blueblue

yellowyellow

greengreen

yellowyellow

blackblack

redred

redred

blueblue

yellowgreenblueyellowredbluegreengreen

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Stroop Task: Color Stroop Task: Color NamingNaming

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Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Stroop Task: TestStroop Task: Test(Incongruent vs. (Incongruent vs. Congruent)Congruent)greengreen

blackblack

blueblue

yellowyellow

blackblack

blueblue

blackblack

greengreen

redred

blueblue

yellowyellow

redred

greengreen

brownbrown

blackblack

blueblue

yellowgreenblueredblack greenblueyellow

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Stroop Task DesignStroop Task Design

Test: Name the print colorCongruent Trials

Incongruent TrialsRead the Word

Name the Color

Correct answer for all 4 trial types = “RED”

Control Conditions

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Control ConditionsControl Conditions

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Stroop DataStroop Data(Bilingual advantage, Bilingual Aging advantage)(Bilingual advantage, Bilingual Aging advantage)

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Relevance of lab Relevance of lab studies?studies? Newest study show bilinguals out-perform Newest study show bilinguals out-perform

monolinguals in driving simulations.monolinguals in driving simulations.

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

But I would not recommend this EVEN if you are a bilingual!!!

Don’t try this at home (or out on the road)!

Summary of Bilingual Summary of Bilingual Effect on CognitionEffect on CognitionDisadvantages for lexical retrieval Vocabulary

– PPVT Fluency

– Fluency and Boston Naming

Advantages for executive function Control of attention

– Simon task, Stroop task Switching

– Reversible Figures, Card Sort

Lexical Retrieval and Executive Function

Left-over/not discussed studies Left-over/not discussed studies from previous classesfrom previous classes

Results

Categories were nonsense terms ‘Leebish’ and ‘Grecious’

Type I Type II