THE SYNTAX-SEMANTICS OF ADJECTIVAL DISTRIBUTION IN ADULT POLISH-SPANISH CHILDHOOD BILINGUALS

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Judy
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Spanish Syntax ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence

AbstractThe present study examines potential age and microparametric effects in childhood bilinguals (currently adults) in an understudied language pairing, Polish-Spanish. Specifically, a Spanish group (N = 28) and a Sequential child bilingual (N = 22) and a Simultaneous bilingual (N = 8) group living in Misiones, Argentina, completed three experimental tasks assessing their knowledge of the syntactic and syntax-semantic distribution of adjectives. Results show that, despite several semantic differences related to adjective position, both experimental groups demonstrate knowledge of interpretive constraints that fall out from underlying Spanish syntax. Differences predicted as a result of crosslinguistic influence were not evidenced, yet, contrary to Polish and Spanish, the experimental groups accepted ungrammatical postnominal intensional adjectives significantly more than Spanish speakers.

scholarly journals Shrinking Your Deictic System: How Far Can You Go?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mila Vulchanova ◽  
Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes ◽  
Jacqueline Collier ◽  
Valentin Vulchanov
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Language Attrition ◽  
Native Spanish Speakers ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Language Exposure ◽  
Open Question

Languages around the world differ in terms of the number of adnominal and pronominal demonstratives they require, as well as the factors that impact on their felicitous use. Given this cross-linguistic variation in deictic demonstrative terms, and the features that determine their felicitous use, an open question is how this is accommodated within bilingual cognition and language. In particular, we were interested in the extent to which bilingual language exposure and practice might alter the way in which a bilingual is using deictic demonstratives in their first language. Recent research on language attrition suggests that L2 learning selectively affects aspects of the native language, with some domains of language competence being more vulnerable than others. If demonstratives are basic, and acquired relatively early, they should be less susceptible to change and attrition. This was the hypothesis we went on to test in the current study. We tested two groups of native Spanish speakers, a control group living in Spain and an experimental group living in Norway using the (Spatial) Memory game paradigm. Contra to our expectations, the results indicate a significant difference between the two groups in use of deictic terms, indicative of a change in the preferred number of terms used. This suggests that deictic referential systems may change over time under pressure from bilingual language exposure.

scholarly journals Uma análise da influência interlinguística global e local em aprendizes de Espanhol como L3, falantes de mandarim como L1 e inglês como L2 (An analysis of global and local crosslinguistic influence in L1 Mandarin-L2 English learners of L3 Spanish)

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
Matt Patience
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Local Analysis ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
Significant Factors

O presente estudo investigou a influência fonética interlinguística (CLI) em falantes de mandarim como L1, inglês como L2 e espanhol como L3. O objetivo foi determinar se a L1 ou a L2 era uma fonte mais forte de CLI em falantes trilíngues de três línguas tipologicamente distintas, e examinar até que ponto a proficiência de L2 e L3 desempenham um papel. Duas análises foram realizadas. Na análise geral, juízes hispânicos (N = 22) escutaram passagens lidas por falantes de mandarim como L1, de inglês como L2 e de espanhol como L3 (N = 17) com diferentes níveis de proficiência da L2 e da L3, e tentaram identificar o idioma nativo dos indivíduos. Na análise local, a produção da vibrante múltipla alveolar da L3 foi examinada, a fim de determinar se a L1 ou a L2 foi uma fonte mais frequente de transferência. As duas análises revelaram que tanto a L1 quanto a L2 foram possíveis fontes de transferência, embora a L1tenha sido uma fonte mais forte no geral. A proficiência oral de L2 e L3 não foi um fator significativo, revelando que outros fatores podem ser melhores preditores da fonte de transferência. Essas descobertas são discutidas em referência à sua compatibilidade com o Modelo de Primazia Tipológica e o Modelo do Status da L2 como fator. The present study investigated L3 phonetic crosslinguistic influence (CLI) in L1 Mandarin-L2 English-L3 Spanish speakers. The objective was to determine whether the L1 or the L2 was a stronger source of CLI in trilingual speakers of three typologically distinct languages, and to examine the extent to which L2 and L3 proficiency play a role. Two analyses were performed. In the global analysis, Spanish-speaking judges (N=22) listened to passages read by L1 Mandarin-L2 English-L3 Spanish speakers (N=17) with varying levels of L2 and L3 proficiency and attempted to identify the speakers’ native language. In the local analysis, the L3 production of the Spanish trill was examined, with the goal of determining whether the L1 or L2 was a more frequent source of transfer. The two analyses revealed that both the L1 and L2 were possible sources of transfer, although the L1 was a stronger source overall. L2 and L3 oral proficiency were not significant factors, revealing that other factors may be better predictors of the source of transfer. These findings are discussed in reference to their compatibility with the Typological Primacy Model and the L2 Status Factor Model.

Letter Verbal Fluency in Spanish-, Basque-, and Catalan-Speaking Individuals: Does the Selection of the Letters Influence the Outcome?

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 2400-2410
Author(s):  
Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa ◽  
Itziar Benito-Sánchez ◽  
Montserrat Alegret ◽  
Anna Gailhajanet ◽  
Esther Landa Torre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Crucial Step ◽  
Verbal Fluency Test ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Frontal Lobe Functioning ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Fluency Test

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare Basque and Catalan bilinguals' performance on the letter verbal fluency test and determine whether significant differences are present depending on the letters used and the language of administration. Method The sample consisted of 87 Spanish monolinguals, 139 Basque bilinguals, and 130 Catalan bilinguals from Spain. Participants completed the letter verbal fluency test using the letters F, A, S, M, R, P, and E. Results Bilinguals scored higher on the letter verbal fluency test when they were tested in Spanish than in Basque or Catalan. No performance differences were found according to native language or dialects within Basque participants. Catalans with Spanish as their native language scored lower on the letter F compared to those who grew up speaking Catalan and Spanish. The suggested letters to use with Basque speakers are A, E, and B; the suggested letters to use with Catalan speakers are P, F, and M; and the suggested letters to use with Spanish speakers are M, R, and P. Conclusion Selecting appropriate stimuli depending on the language of testing is the first crucial step to assess verbal fluency and thus possible frontal lobe functioning impairment.

Production of Subject-Verb Agreement in Spanish as a Second Language

2003 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Nicol ◽  
Delia Greth
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Error Patterns ◽  
Verb Agreement ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Semantic Variables ◽  
Advanced Proficiency

Abstract. In this paper, we report the results of a study of English speakers who have learned Spanish as a second language. All were late learners who have achieved near- advanced proficiency in Spanish. The focus of the research is on the production of subject-verb agreement errors and the factors that influence the incidence of such errors. There is some evidence that English and Spanish subject-verb agreement differ in susceptibility to interference from different types of variables; specifically, it has been reported that Spanish speakers show a greater influence of semantic factors in their implementation of subject-verb agreement ( Vigliocco, Butterworth, & Garrett, 1996 ). In our study, all participants were tested in English (L1) and Spanish (L2). Results indicate nearly identical error patterns: these speakers show no greater influence of semantic variables in the computation of agreement when they are speaking Spanish than when they are speaking English.

Role of English Fluency in Performance of Native Spanish-Speakers on the Trail-Making Test

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Suarez ◽  
Tamar H. Gollan ◽  
Lidia Artiola ◽  
Igor Grant ◽  
Robert Heaton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Native Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Fluency ◽  
Trail Making

An American Language

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosina Lozano
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Language Recognition ◽  
Political Language ◽  
Political Issue ◽  
History Of ◽  
The U.S

An American Language is a political history of the Spanish language in the United States. The nation has always been multilingual and the Spanish language in particular has remained as an important political issue into the present. After the U.S.-Mexican War, the Spanish language became a language of politics as Spanish speakers in the U.S. Southwest used it to build territorial and state governments. In the twentieth century, Spanish became a political language where speakers and those opposed to its use clashed over what Spanish's presence in the United States meant. This book recovers this story by using evidence that includes Spanish language newspapers, letters, state and territorial session laws, and federal archives to profile the struggle and resilience of Spanish speakers who advocated for their language rights as U.S. citizens. Comparing Spanish as a language of politics and as a political language across the Southwest and noncontiguous territories provides an opportunity to measure shifts in allegiance to the nation and exposes differing forms of nationalism. Language concessions and continued use of Spanish is a measure of power. Official language recognition by federal or state officials validates Spanish speakers' claims to US citizenship. The long history of policies relating to language in the United States provides a way to measure how U.S. visions of itself have shifted due to continuous migration from Latin America. Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens are crucial arbiters of Spanish language politics and their successes have broader implications on national policy and our understanding of Americans.

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