Recognizing the Effects of Language Mode on the Cognitive Advantages of Bilingualism

Abstract

For bilinguals, it is argued that a cognitive advantage can be linked to the constant management and need for conflict resolution that occurs when the two languages are co-activated (Bialystok, 2015). Language mode (Grosjean, 1998, 2001) is a significant variable that defines and shapes the language experiences of bilinguals and consequently, the cognitive advantages of bilingualism. Previous work, however, has not sufficiently tested the effects of language mode on the bilingual experience. In this brief conceptual analysis, we discuss the significance of language mode in bilingual work on speech perception, production, and reading. We offer possible explanations for conflicting findings and ways in which future work should control for its modulating effects.

The Effects of Multilinguality on the Development of Causal Speech Acts in the Geography Classroom

“…Language awareness and metacognition exert great effects on both the learning process and learning success [36] (pp. [95][96][97][98][99]. Language awareness is defined "as explicit knowledge about language and as a conscious perception and sensitivity during language acquisition, lessons and use" (ALA, 2012, quoted after [37] (p. 7)).…”

Russian blues reveal the limits of language influencing colour discrimination

“…These issues are relevant for between-subjects studies of bilingualism, wherein the experimental group (bilinguals) is significantly slower than the control group (monolinguals). This between-group RT difference is argued to reflect parallel activation of bilinguals' two languages and, hence, slower lexical access to the target language due to temporal costs of inhibiting candidates in the non-target language (Kroll, Bobb, Misra, & Guo, 2008;Yu & Schwieter, 2018).…”

Using network science to map what Montréal bilinguals talk about across languages and communicative contexts

“…Inspired by the adaptive control hypothesis, recent work has begun to assess the extent to which bilinguals are immersed in single vs. dual language interactional contexts at a surface level through a variety of methods (Yu & Schwieter, 2018). One way to assess single vs. dual language context is to sample participants from locales which are thought to differ in that regard (Beatty-Martínez & Dussias, 2017;Beatty-Martínez, Navarro-Torres, Dussias, Bajo, Guzzardo-Tamargo, & Kroll, 2019).…”