scholarly journals The Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Ten years later

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 945-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Kaushanskaya ◽  
Henrike K. Blumenfeld ◽  
Viorica Marian
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Comprehensive Description ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Interview Format ◽  
History Of ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Reported Data

AbstractThe Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) is a validated questionnaire tool for collecting self-reported proficiency and experience data from bilingual and multilingual speakers ages 14 to 80. It is available in over 20 languages, and can be administered in a digital, paper-and-pencil, and oral interview format. The LEAP-Q is used by researchers across various disciplines (Psychology, Neuroscience, Linguistics, Education, Communication Sciences & Disorders, etc.) to provide a comprehensive description of their bilingual participants, to substantiate a division of bilinguals into groups (e.g., early vs. late bilinguals), and to screen participants for adequate or threshold levels of language proficiency. Best practices for using the LEAP-Q include administration of the full questionnaire, consideration of acquisition and history of language use together with self-ratings of proficiency, and supplementation of self-reported data with objective language measures whenever possible. The LEAP-Q can be downloaded at no cost at https://bilingualism.northwestern.edu/leapq/.

scholarly journals Characterizing the social diversity of bilingualism using language entropy

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason W. Gullifer ◽  
Debra Titone
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Diversity ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Language History ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Control

AbstractBilingual and multilingual individuals exhibit variation in everyday language experience. Studies on bilingualism account for individual differences with measures such as L2 age of acquisition, exposure, or language proficiency, but recent theoretical perspectives posit that the relative balance between the two or more languages throughout daily life (i.e., interactional context) is a crucial determinant for language representation, access, and control. We propose an innovative measure to characterize this construct by using entropy to estimate the social diversity of language use. Language entropy is computed from commonly-collected language history data and generalizes to multilingual communicative contexts. We show how language entropy relates to other indices of bilingual experience and that it predicts self-report L2 outcome measures over and above classic measures of language experience. Thus, we proffer language entropy as a means to characterize individual differences in bilingual (and multilingual) language experience related to the social diversity of language use.

scholarly journals Characterizing the social diversity of bilingualism using language entropy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Gullifer ◽  
Debra Titone
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Diversity ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Language History ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Control

Bilingual and multilingual individuals exhibit variation in everyday language experience. Studies on bilingualism account for individual differences with measures such as L2 age of acquisition, exposure, or language proficiency, but recent theoretical perspectives posit that the relative balance between the two or more languages throughout daily life (i.e., INTERACTIONAL CONTEXT) is a crucial determinant for language representation, access, and control. We propose an innovative measure to characterize this construct by using ENTROPY to estimate the social diversity of language use. Language entropy is computed from commonly-collected language history data and generalizes to multilingual communicative contexts. We show how language entropy relates to other indices of bilingual experience and that it predicts self-report L2 outcome measures over and above classic measures of language experience. Thus, we proffer language entropy as a means to characterize individual differences in bilingual (and multilingual) language experience related to the social diversity of language use.

scholarly journals Immigrant Language Maintenance and Shift in the Gujarati, Dutch and Samoan Communities of Wellington

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mary Lucy Roberts
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
History Of ◽  
Immigrant Language

<p>This thesis makes a contribution to the study of language maintenance and shift among New Zealand ethnic minority communities; it explores reasons for different rates of shift and different outcomes in relation to language maintenance in different communities; and the results are related to wide-ranging issues of New Zealand language policy. Research was undertaken in three minority immigrant groups in Wellington. The Gujarati community in Wellington is a major part of the Indian community totalling approximately 6,000 people at the time of the research; the Samoan community consisted of approximately 16,000 people, and the Dutch of 3,000. 141 members of the Gujarati community responded to questionnaires and interviews about themselves and their children, providing information on patterns of reported language proficiency, language use and attitudes to language maintenance from a total of 327 people. 184 Dutch respondents replied to a postal questionnaire about their own and their children's language knowledge, language usage patterns and attitudes to language maintenance, providing data on 412 people. 93 Samoan respondents filled out questionnaires and responded to interviews about themselves and their 133 children. Thus Information on a total of 965 New Zealanders belonging to minority immigrant communities was obtained. The data collected on patterns of language maintenance and shift is examined in the light of a wide range of language policy issues. The history of language and identity politics, minority immigration in New Zealand, and the immigration histories of the three groups are examined in detail, and the history of language and policy formation in New Zealand, is outlined and evaluated. The research focuses on the process of immigrant language maintenance and shift in the family and immediate community, and also investigates the role of language maintenance education in these processes. Information about language use processes in childhood and adulthood is presented. The Graded Intergeneration Disruption Stages scale, proposed by Joshua Fishman is tested against the information gathered on the three communities and found to be a useful heuristic device. The results of the research show that while processes of language maintenance and shift occur in all three communities, these processes take very different forms in each community, move at different speeds and. to date, have had very different outcomes. The reasons for the differences between the communities in these respects are examined in some detail. Finally, on the basis of the evidence provided by the research, language policy proposals are presented supporting the provision of government services in minority immigrant languages and indicating the advantages of state support for language maintenance education.</p>

scholarly journals Immigrant Language Maintenance and Shift in the Gujarati, Dutch and Samoan Communities of Wellington

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mary Lucy Roberts
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Language Maintenance And Shift ◽  
History Of ◽  
Immigrant Language

<p>This thesis makes a contribution to the study of language maintenance and shift among New Zealand ethnic minority communities; it explores reasons for different rates of shift and different outcomes in relation to language maintenance in different communities; and the results are related to wide-ranging issues of New Zealand language policy. Research was undertaken in three minority immigrant groups in Wellington. The Gujarati community in Wellington is a major part of the Indian community totalling approximately 6,000 people at the time of the research; the Samoan community consisted of approximately 16,000 people, and the Dutch of 3,000. 141 members of the Gujarati community responded to questionnaires and interviews about themselves and their children, providing information on patterns of reported language proficiency, language use and attitudes to language maintenance from a total of 327 people. 184 Dutch respondents replied to a postal questionnaire about their own and their children's language knowledge, language usage patterns and attitudes to language maintenance, providing data on 412 people. 93 Samoan respondents filled out questionnaires and responded to interviews about themselves and their 133 children. Thus Information on a total of 965 New Zealanders belonging to minority immigrant communities was obtained. The data collected on patterns of language maintenance and shift is examined in the light of a wide range of language policy issues. The history of language and identity politics, minority immigration in New Zealand, and the immigration histories of the three groups are examined in detail, and the history of language and policy formation in New Zealand, is outlined and evaluated. The research focuses on the process of immigrant language maintenance and shift in the family and immediate community, and also investigates the role of language maintenance education in these processes. Information about language use processes in childhood and adulthood is presented. The Graded Intergeneration Disruption Stages scale, proposed by Joshua Fishman is tested against the information gathered on the three communities and found to be a useful heuristic device. The results of the research show that while processes of language maintenance and shift occur in all three communities, these processes take very different forms in each community, move at different speeds and. to date, have had very different outcomes. The reasons for the differences between the communities in these respects are examined in some detail. Finally, on the basis of the evidence provided by the research, language policy proposals are presented supporting the provision of government services in minority immigrant languages and indicating the advantages of state support for language maintenance education.</p>

scholarly journals Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-318
Author(s):  
Kinsey Bice ◽  
Brianna L. Yamasaki ◽  
Chantel S. Prat
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Native Language Proficiency

An increasing body of research has investigated how bilingual language experience changes brain structure and function, including changes to task-free, or “resting-state” brain connectivity. Such findings provide important evidence about how the brain continues to be shaped by different language experiences throughout the lifespan. The neural effects of bilingual language experience can provide evidence about the additional processing demands placed on the linguistic and/or executive systems by dual-language use. While considerable research has used MRI to examine where these changes occur, such methods cannot reveal the temporal dynamics of functioning brain networks at rest. The current study used data from task-free EEGS to disentangle how the linguistic and cognitive demands of bilingual language use impact brain functioning. Data analyzed from 106 bilinguals and 91 monolinguals revealed that bilinguals had greater alpha power, and significantly greater and broader coherence in the alpha and beta frequency ranges than monolinguals. Follow-up analyses showed that higher alpha was related to language control: more second-language use, higher native-language proficiency, and earlier age of second-language acquisition. Bilateral beta power was related to native-language proficiency, whereas theta was related to native-language proficiency only in left-hemisphere electrodes. The results contribute to our understanding of how the linguistic and cognitive requirements of dual-language use shape intrinsic brain activity, and what the broader implications for information processing may be.

scholarly journals On the multidimensionality of bilingualism and the unique role of language use*

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Patrycja Kałamała ◽  
Magdalena Senderecka ◽  
Zofia Wodniecka
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
First Language ◽  
Measurement Methods ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Language Mixing ◽  
Language Environment

Abstract The multidimensionality of the bilingual experience makes the investigation of bilingualism fascinating but also challenging. Although the literature distinguishes several aspects of bilingualism, the measurement methods and the relationships between these aspects have not been clearly established. In a group of 171 relatively young Polish–English bilinguals living in their first-language environment, this study investigates the relationships between the multiple measures of bilingualism. The study shows that language entropy – an increasingly popular measure of the diversity of language use – reflects a separate aspect of the bilingual experience from language-switching and language-mixing measures. The findings also indicate that language proficiency is not a uniform aspect of the bilingual experience but a complex construct that requires appropriately comprehensive measurements. Collectively, the findings contribute to the discussion on the best practices for quantifying bilingualism.

scholarly journals Bilingualism caught in a net. A new approach to understanding the complexity of bilingual experience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrycja Kałamała ◽  
Adam Chuderski ◽  
Jakub M. Szewczyk ◽  
Magdalena Senderecka ◽  
Zofia Wodniecka
Keyword(s):  
Network Model ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Order Construct ◽  
History Of ◽  
Best Fit

The growing importance of research on bilingualism in psychology and neuroscience motivates the need for a unified approach to understanding and quantifying this phenomenon. This study aimed to establish the first psychometric model of bilingualism. To this end, we re-analyzed two datasets (N = 171 and N = 112) from Polish-English bilinguals who completed a battery of questionnaires and tasks probing language experience. We asked whether bilingualism is best described by the factor structure (generalizable dimensions of bilingualism that are potentially explained by a higher-order construct) or by the network structure (direct and low-level dependencies between language skills and language-use practices which leads to the emergence of bilingualism).The factor and network structures were established on one dataset and then validated on the other dataset in a fully confirmatory manner. The network model provided the best fit to the data. Further network analyses showed that some indices demonstrated relatively stronger connections within the network than others. Yet, there was no central index that would explain most of the variability in bilingual experience.The results imply that bilingualism should be conceptualized as an emergent network of low-level and idiosyncratic dependencies between diverse language skills, the history of language acquisition, and language-use practices. These dependencies can be reduced to neither a single universal quotient nor to some more general factors. Overall, an indisputable advantage of the network model over the factor approach indicates the great potential of network modeling to gain a more accurate description and understanding of complex cognitive phenomena.

Identification of Current Best Practices for Short-term Medical Mission Trips and Adherence to Current Common Principles and Guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-82
Author(s):  
Susan Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Operational Practices ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Background:  Recent reviews of published guidelines for conducting short-term medical missions (STMM) identify significant concerns about the lack of adherence and of formal regulations concurrent with the increasing number of individuals and organizations participating in STMM. Method: A descriptive survey methodology was used. A 44-item survey that identifies current practices utilized by healthcare providers (HCP) who have participated in STMM was used based on the literature and prior research, and distributed electronically to HCP participating in STTM to identify current best practices and compare findings with the most recent recommendations for short-term global health activities. A focus on current operational practices was surveyed and analyzed to develop operational recommendations for the ethical and safe care provided during STMM. Results: Eighty-seven surveys were included in the final analysis, with 33% (N=29) serving as coordinators for the trip. The majority of the respondents were female (67%) and the primary roles represented were: MD (N=17; 20%), nurse practitioner (N=20; 23%), and registered nurse (N=18; 21%). A majority (N=48; 67%) traveled to South America or Latin America, with 38% (N=33) having participated in four or more STMM. Language proficiency was reported as deficient (N=35; 40%) along with little or no knowledge of the basic culture (N=39; 45%). Additional data were collected on trip preparation, clinic operations, and outcomes follow up. Conclusions: Using a convenience sample, the results of the survey provide information on the current best practices utilized by HCP who have participated in STMM and compare the findings to assess for adherence with the most recent recommendations for short-term global health activities. There was variation in the degree to which HCP were knowledgeable about specific aspects related to knowledge of local culture, language proficiency, and adherence to recommended practices for STMM. Additional research on STMM is needed, along with further exploration of how evidence based practices for STMM can be implemented to improve access and safety to the care provided while in the host country.

Trying to Professionalize Expert Knowledge (Part I): The Short Life of the Municipal Administration Service, 1926-1933

Public Voices ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mordecai Lee
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Early History ◽  
Short Life ◽  
Organizational History ◽  
Municipal Administration ◽  
History Of ◽  
Wide Dissemination

One of the building blocks of the professionalization of American public administration was the recognition of the need for expert knowledge and the wide dissemination of that information to practitioners. Municipal civil servants could adopt and adapt these best practices in their localities. Such was the purpose of the Municipal Administration Service (1926-1933), initially founded by the National Municipal League and funded by the Rockefeller philanthropies. This article is an organizational history of the Service. It presents the life cycle of the agency, including its operations, funding, problems, and the behind-the-scenes public administration politics which led to its demise. In all, the Municipal Administration Service captures the early history of American public administration, its attempt to demonstrate that it was a full-fledged profession with recognized experts and managerial advice that ultimately proved unable to perpetuate itself.

Searching for Justice After the Holocaust

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Bazyler ◽  
Kathryn Lee Boyd ◽  
Kristen L. Nelson ◽  
Rajika L. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Legal History ◽  
Holocaust Survivors ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
Slave Labor ◽  
Insurance Policies ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Nazi Era ◽  
Property Restitution

The Nazis and their cohorts stole mercilessly from the Jews of Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, returning survivors had to navigate unclear and hostile legal paths to recover their stolen property from governments and neighbors who often had been complicit in their persecution and theft. While the return of Nazi-looted art and recent legal settlements involving dormant Swiss bank accounts, unpaid insurance policies and use of slave labor by German companies have been well-publicized, efforts by Holocaust survivors and heirs over the last 70 years to recover stolen land and buildings were forgotten. In 2009, 47 countries convened in Prague to deal with the lingering problem of restitution of prewar private, communal, and heirless property stolen during the Holocaust. The outcome was the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues, aiming to “rectify the consequences” of the wrongful Nazi-era immovable property seizures. This book sets forth the legal history of Holocaust immovable property restitution in each of the Terezin Declaration signatory states. It also analyzes how each of the 47 countries has fulfilled the standards of the Guidelines and Best Practices of the Terezin Declaration. These standards were issued in 2010 in conjunction with the establishment of the European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI), a state-sponsored NGO created to monitor compliance. The book is based on the Holocaust (Shoah) Immovable Property Restitution Study commissioned by ESLI, written by the authors and issued in Brussels in 2017 before the European Parliament.

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