Direct and indirect effects of multilingualism on novel language learning: An integrative review

Abstract

Accumulated recent research suggests that prior knowledge of multiple languages leads to advantages in learning additional languages. In the current article, we review studies examining potential differences between monolingual and multilingual speakers in novel language learning in an effort to uncover the cognitive mechanisms that underlie such differences. We examine the multilingual advantage in children and adults, across a wide array of languages and learner populations. The majority of this literature focused on vocabulary learning, but studies that address phonology, grammar, and literacy learning are also discussed to provide a comprehensive picture of the way in which multilingualism affects novel language learning. Our synthesis indicates two avenues to the multilingual advantage including direct transfer of prior knowledge and prior skills as well as indirect influences that result from multilingual background and include more general changes to the cognitive-linguistic system. Finally, we highlight topics that are in need of future systematic research.

Predictors of Successful Learning in Multilingual Older Adults Acquiring a Majority Language

“…Specifically, more entrenched representations become active more rapidly and are more likely to compete with a weaker language, making it potentially more challenging for learners to acquire new items that are similar yet distinct from previous knowledge (e.g., Diependaele, 2012). Research from young adult bilingual vs. monolingual language learners suggests that bilinguals are particularly well-equipped to manage competition from a previous language, a skill that may confer learning advantages relative to monolinguals (Bartolotti and Marian, 2012;Hirosh and Degani, 2017). However, this benefit may be more limited in older multilinguals.…”

“…It is conceivable that the most successful learners had benefited from positive transfer of knowledge at a time in middle adulthood when such transfer was cognitively more efficient, with cognitive control mechanisms more available to mute activation of "false friend" representations that were form-similar yet non-equivalent across languages. Alternatively, in the current age group, it is possible that learners who also knew languages that differed from English, were at an advantage in learning novel English because they could globally inhibit these languages (Hirosh and Degani, 2017), a task that may have been cognitively less costly. To our knowledge, no research is currently available examining the success of language transfer across age groups.…”

“…A robust research base exists on language transfer as a significant contributor to language learning [e.g., Lotto and De Groot, 1998;Sparks et al, 2009;Morett and MacWhinney, 2013;Antoniou et al, 2014;Bartolotti and Marian, 2016; for a recent review see Hirosh and Degani (2017)]. For example, Antoniou et al (2014) found that learners who knew Mandarin attained better learning outcomes for an artificial language that contained a retroflex contrast found in Mandarin; similarly, learners who knew Korean outperformed others in learning a language with a lenition contrast found in Korean.…”

“…Second, we hypothesized that the multilingual language learners whose previously known languages are similar to English might show the greatest English attainment, maintenance, and novel learning, because they can rely on language transfer. As an alternative prediction, Hirosh and Degani (2017) have recently argued that multilinguals with less similar previously known languages may have a novel language learning advantage because they are more likely to globally inhibit their previous unrelated languages. We expected that the initial language maintenance and learning data from participants who completed our SPECSS curriculum would provide insight on these alternative hypotheses to help formulate effective language curricula for older adults and to guide future research.…”

“…Consistently, Bartolotti and Marian (2016) taught fluent speakers of English and German a novel artificial language that had overlap with both their L1 and L2, and found that both previously learned languages contributed to success with the novel language. Finally, in proficient speakers, structurally similar aspects of languages continue to provide cross-linguistic scaffolding for processing in both bilingual contexts (e.g., Costa et al, 2005;Schoonbaert et al, 2007;Blumenfeld et al, 2016a;Potapova et al, 2016) and multilingual contexts (e.g., Lemhöfer et al, 2004 been well established in young adults that previously known languages provide an experiential baseline that can facilitate the acquisition of novel languages, both through direct transfer of knowledge and through potential honing of cognitive skills that underlie learning (e.g., Hirosh and Degani, 2017). Consistently with predictions that older adults may rely heavily on previous knowledge, Marcotte and Ansaldo (2014) found in their word-level training study, teaching Spanish words to younger and older French monolinguals, that older learners had more robust cognate effects than the younger learners.…”