Trilinguals’ language switching: A strategic and flexible account

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Mosca
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Switching Performance ◽  
Controlling System ◽  
Activation Level ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Language Selection

The goal of this study was to determine how trilinguals select the language they intend to use in a language switching context. Two accounts are examined: (a) a language-specific account, according to which language selection considers the activation level of words of the intended language only (i.e., language co-activation without language competition), and (b) a language non-specific account, where activated words from both the intended and non-intended languages compete for selection (i.e., language co-activation with language competition). Results showed that, in both groups, all three languages competed for selection and that selection was achieved by inhibiting the currently non-relevant languages. Moreover, extending findings from previous research, the study reveals that, in both Experiments 1 and 2, the amount of inhibition was influenced not only by language proficiency but also by the typological similarity between languages. Overall, the study shows that language switching performance can be accounted for by a strategic and flexible inhibitory account. In particular, the controlling system is “strategic” in the sense that it aims at preventing potential conflicting situations, such as typological closeness between languages, and it is “flexible” in that it adjusts languages’ activation levels, depending on the conflict to be solved.

scholarly journals Examining the effectiveness of language-switching practice for reducing cross-language competition in L2 grammatical processing

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McManus
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Language Selection ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Viewpoint Aspect ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
L1 And L2

AbstractThis study examined the extent to which language-switching practice enhanced L2 learners’ L2 grammatical processing by improving language selection abilities. Thirty-six English-speaking learners of French completed the same language-switching practice of L1 and L2 sentences, but received different types of pre-practice explicit information (EI) designed to address L2 learning difficulties resulting from crosslinguistic influence: one group (n = 17) received EI about English–French differences for viewpoint aspect, and a second group (n = 19) received EI about viewpoint aspect in French only. This design investigated the extent to which pre-practice linguistic knowledge moderated the effectiveness of the language-switching practice. Longitudinal analyses showed that increasing amounts of practice improved language selection abilities (increased accuracy, reduced reaction time costs), but only for learners who received EI about L1-L2 differences. These findings that language-switching was moderated by type of pre-practice EI have important implications for theories of L2 learning and instruction.

scholarly journals Examining the effectiveness of language-switching practice for reducing cross-language competition in L2 grammatical processing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McManus
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Language Selection ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Viewpoint Aspect ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
L1 And L2

This study examined the extent to which language-switching practice enhanced L2 learners’ L2 grammatical processing by improving language selection abilities. Thirty-six English-speaking learners of French completed the same language-switching practice of L1 and L2 sentences, but received different types of pre-practice explicit information (EI) designed to address L2 learning difficulties resulting from crosslinguistic influence: one group (n = 17) received EI about English-French differences for viewpoint aspect, and a second group (n = 19) received EI about viewpoint aspect in French only. This design investigated the extent to which pre-practice linguistic knowledge moderated the effectiveness of the language-switching practice. Longitudinal analyses showed that increasing amounts of practice improved language selection abilities (increased accuracy, reduced reaction time costs), but only for learners who received EI about L1-L2 differences. These findings that language-switching was moderated by type of pre-practice EI have important implications for theories of L2 learning and instruction

scholarly journals Enhancing the smoothness of joint motion induced by functional electrical stimulation using co-activation strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-159
Author(s):  
Mirjana Ruppel ◽  
Christian Klauer ◽  
Thomas Schauer
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Joint Stiffness ◽  
Joint Motion ◽  
Activation Level ◽  
Pendulum Test ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Antagonistic Muscle ◽  
Induced Motion ◽  
Neuroprosthetic Devices

AbstractThe motor precision of today’s neuroprosthetic devices that use artificial generation of limb motion using Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is generally low. We investigate the adoption of natural co-activation strategies as present in antagonistic muscle pairs aiming to improve motor precision produced by FES. In a test in which artificial knee-joint movements were generated, we could improve the smoothness of FES-induced motion by 513% when applying co-activation during the phases in which torque production is switched between muscles – compared to no co-activation. We further demonstrated how the co-activation level influences the joint stiffness in a pendulum test.

scholarly journals Latent variable evidence on the interplay between language switching frequency and executive control in Spanish-Catalan bilinguals

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 912-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor A. Sanchez-Azanza ◽  
Raúl López-Penadés ◽  
Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla ◽  
Daniel Adrover-Roig
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Switching Frequency ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Second Language Proficiency ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
The Impact

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: We characterized the impact of several bilingualism-related factors on the executive control of Spanish-Catalan bilinguals. Design/methodology/approach: Participants self-reported information regarding their age of acquisition, second language proficiency and frequency of natural language switching, and performed non-linguistic tasks tapping into specific executive control subcomponents, including inhibition, switching and updating. Data and analysis: Data were analyzed by means of a structural equation model (SEM) approach. Findings/conclusions: Results revealed that the frequency of natural language switching positively modulated the executive control performance of Spanish-Catalan bilinguals, while neither age of acquisition nor second language proficiency had an effect. Moreover, we found that the impact of natural language switching exerted general-processing influences, affecting all subcomponents of executive control. Findings are discussed in relation to context-specific effects on the cognitive system of a particular bilingual population. Originality: The current study applied an SEM approach to provide new evidence on the previously ambiguous relation between bilingualism-related factors and executive control. Significance/implications: Our findings suggest that the frequency of natural language switching does globally influence the executive control of Spanish-Catalan bilinguals.

Inhibitory control predicts language switching performance in trilingual speech production

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
JARED A. LINCK ◽  
JOHN W. SCHWIETER ◽  
GRETCHEN SUNDERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Control Mechanism ◽  
Simon Task ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Switching Performance ◽  
Switch Costs ◽  
Switching Task ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the role of domain-general inhibitory control in trilingual speech production. Taking an individual differences approach, we examined the relationship between performance on a non-linguistic measure of inhibitory control (the Simon task) and a multilingual language switching task for a group of fifty-six native English (L1) speakers learning French (L2) and Spanish (L3). Better inhibitory control was related to reduced switch costs, but only when switching into or out of the more dominant L1, where inhibitory control has been theorized to be most important (Green, 1998). The results provide evidence of a direct link between inhibitory control abilities and language switching capabilities, and suggest constraints on the conditions under which a domain-general inhibitory control mechanism supports language switching.

Language switch costs in sentence comprehension depend on language dominance: Evidence from self-paced reading

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
SYBRINE BULTENA ◽  
TON DIJKSTRA ◽  
JANET G. VAN HELL
Keyword(s):  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Switch Costs ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Main Verb

This study investigated two prominent issues in the comprehension of language switches. First, how does language switching direction affect switch costs in sentence context? Second, are switch costs modulated by L2 proficiency and cross-linguistic activation? We conducted a self-paced reading task involving sentences that switched between participants’ L1 Dutch and L2 English. The cognate status of the main verb was manipulated to examine the influence of co-activation on intra-sentential switch costs. The reading times indicated the influence of switch direction: a cost was observed for switches into L2 but not for switches into L1, and the magnitude of the costs was correlated with L2 proficiency, indicating that switch costs in language comprehension depend on language dominance. Verb cognates did not yield a cognate facilitation effect nor did they influence the magnitude of switch costs in either direction. The results are interpreted in terms of an activation account explaining lexical comprehension based on L2 proficiency.

Language switching and language competition

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Macizo ◽  
Teresa Bajo ◽  
Daniela Paolieri
Keyword(s):  
Word Reading ◽  
First Language ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Switching Cost ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Inhibitory Processes ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Bilingual Processing ◽  
L1 And L2

This study examined the asymmetrical language switching cost in a word reading task (Experiment 1) and in a categorization task (Experiment 2 and 3). In Experiment 1, Spanish–English bilinguals named words in first language (L1) and second language (L2) in a switching paradigm. They were slower to switch from their weaker L2 to their more dominant L1 than from L1 to L2. In Experiment 2 and 3, high vs. low English proficiency bilinguals decided whether a word visually presented in their L1 or L2 referred to an animate or to an inanimate entity. In this case, bilinguals did not show asymmetrical cost when they switched between languages. These results suggest that inhibitory processes in bilingual processing as indexed by the asymmetrical language switching cost are only observed when L1 and L2 lexical representations compete for selection (e.g. word naming task). In addition, L2 proficiency did not influence the absence of asymmetrical switching cost.

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