Bilingual language experience as a multidimensional spectrum: Associations with objective and subjective language proficiency

Despite the multifactorial space of language experience in which people continuously vary, bilinguals are often dichotomized into ostensibly homogeneous groups. The timing of language exposure (age of acquisition) to a second language (L2) is one well-studied construct that is known to impact language processing, cognitive processing, and brain organization, but recent work shows that current language exposure is also a crucial determinant in these domains. Critically, many indices of bilingual experience are inherently subjective and based on self-report questionnaires. Such measures have been criticized in favor of objective measures of language ability (e.g., naming ability or verbal fluency). Here, we estimate the bilingual experience jointly as a function of multiple continuous aspects of experience, including the timing of language exposure, the amount of L2 exposure across communicative contexts, and language entropy (a flexible measure of language balance) across communicative contexts. The results suggest that current language exposure exhibits distinct but interrelated patterns depending on the socio-experiential context of language usage. They also suggest that, counterintuitively, our sample more accurately self-assesses L2 proficiency than native language proficiency. A precise quantification of the multidimensional nature of bilingualism will enhance the ability of future research to assess language processing, acquisition, and control.

Bilingual language experience as a multidimensional spectrum: Associations with objective and subjective language proficiency

Despite the multifactorial space of language experience in which people continuously vary, bilinguals are often dichotomized into ostensibly homogeneous groups. The timing of language exposure (age of acquisition; AoA) to a second language (L2) is one well-studied construct that is known to impact language processing, cognitive processing, and brain organization, but recent work shows that current language exposure is also a crucial determinant in these domains. Critically, many indices of bilingual experience are inherently subjective and based on self-report questionnaires. Such measures have been criticized in favor of objective measures of language ability (e.g., naming ability or verbal fluency). Here, we estimate the bilingual experience jointly as a function of multiple continuous aspects of experience, including the timing of language exposure, the amount of L2 exposure across communicative contexts, and language entropy (a flexible measure of language balance) across communicative contexts. The results suggest that current language exposure exhibits distinct but interrelated patterns depending on the socio-experiential context of language usage. They also suggest that, counterintuitively, our sample more accurately self-assesses L2 proficiency than native language proficiency. A precise quantification of the multidimensional nature of bilingualism will enhance the ability of future research to assess language processing, acquisition, and control.

Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms

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.

Management of Innovations in Cross-Cultural Communication within an Organization

This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the discussion on the issue of cultural intelligence, bilingualism, and the relationship between language proficiency and cultural intelligence. The primary purpose of the research is to explore the relationship between bilingualism (or high language proficiency in two languages) and cultural intelligence. The systematization of literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that a significant link between these constructs could be expected. The relevance of the decision of this scientific problem is that this relationship has not yet been the subject of any previous research. Investigation of the paper topic is carried out in the following logical sequence: a thorough look into a conceptual and theoretical framework of cultural intelligence, bilingualism and the link between cultural intelligence and language proficiency; in the second part of the paper two hypotheses are developed on the base of previous research, and the corresponding methodology is described. The theoretical model of the explored relationship is tested using the SmartPLS-SEM 3 program. The objects of the survey are 243 undergraduate students studying in the English study program at the University of Finance and Administration in the Czech Republic. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that there is a positive correlation between the level of foreign (non-native) language proficiency and cultural intelligence score. Language competence predicates the overall rating for CQ. The metacognitive and motivational factors of CQ play a substantial role within the framework of this relationship. On the other hand, data do not confirm a statistically significant difference between the group of bilingual and monolingual respondents. The results of the research can be useful for those who manage people across cultures and prepare students for working abroad or in international teams such as language teachers at universities. Keywords: cultural intelligence, language proficiency, bilingualism, biculturalism, cultural frame switching, PLS-SEM, intercultural effectiveness

Employability of New Immigrants’ Youth Studying in Technical Program in Taiwan

The purpose of the study is to understand the employability of new immigrants’ youth studying in technical program in Taiwan. A national survey was conducted to explore the employability of new immigrants’ youth from the perspectives of teachers and students. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed to students and 1,171 questionnaires were retrieved. Valid questionnaires totaled 1,098 and accounted for 73.20%; a total of 750 questionnaires were distributed to teachers and 544 questionnaires were retrieved. Valid questionnaires totaled 524 and accounted for 69.87%. The study found that new immigrants’ youth performed best in emotion control ability, followed by personal management ability; new immigrants’ youth performed worst in basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, followed by native language proficiency.

Sociolinguistic Factors in the Development of English Language Proficiency Among Students in Malaysia

Sociolinguistics factors influence the level of English Language proficiency among Malaysian students. Thereare three contextual factors involved which are the participants, the environment and culture. Participants refer to the students who come from different backgrounds with diverse needs and goals of learning the language. Language distance, native language proficiency, prior knowledge of the second language, dialect and register language status and attitudes play a crucial role in this factor. Besides that, the participants’ integrative and instrumental motivations are also contributing factors to the different level of proficiency in second language acquisition. The second factors is the environment which includes home support, the school environment and the community. Home support is concerned with atmosphere that parents create at home regarding language use, the school environment refers to peer groups, teachers and the learningprocess, whereas the community deals with the society that the students interact with. Finally cultural factors such as cultural differences and settings also have brought the different levels of proficiency among students in Malaysia.