Articles tagged with Bilingualism
Researchers discovered that bilingual brains store concepts in a mental map spanning both languages, allowing for smooth language switching while keeping them distinct. The brain organizes individual words within each language and connects equivalent meanings across languages using a semantic map.
Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that bilingual brains preserve a shared overall geometric organization despite tuning themselves differently for each language. This 'shared semantic geometry' allows individuals to effortlessly translate thoughts between languages without confusion.
Bilingual speakers use the same brain areas to adjust words to their grammatical context, indicating a shared neural mechanism for abstract grammatical computations across languages. This finding has implications for language learning, suggesting that existing knowledge may facilitate the acquisition of new languages.
A study led by Waseda University's Associate Professor Chie Nakamura investigated how listeners interpret structurally ambiguous sentences using eye-tracking technology. The researchers found that listeners actively build sentence structure in real-time, predicting how the sentence will continue before all information is available.
A scoping review reveals that bilingual university programs in Europe prioritize academic language use, with EMI approach raising concerns about students' linguistic competence. The CLIL approach is deemed more democratic and inclusive, but challenging to implement.
Researchers found that brain synchrony between mothers and children is equally strong when playing in the native language or an acquired second language. This suggests that multilingualism can support healthy communication and learning without disrupting the brain-to-brain connection.
The new book examines language attrition in non-pathological settings, considering social, lexical, and grammatical constraints. Researchers aim to develop a multifaceted approach to combating language loss, improving pedagogy and promoting bilingualism.
Researchers analyzed over 4,000 examples of Russian spoken by bilinguals, finding that non-standard numeral constructions are influenced by native languages and frequency of use. Less familiar expressions involving numbers two to four were used in non-standard forms more frequently.
A Concordia study of 300 Montreal households found that mothers have up to twice the impact on language exposure compared to fathers. Mothers typically transmit heritage languages, even if both parents are heritage-language speakers, due to cultural factors and spending more time at home.
A new systematic review of 70 studies reveals strong relationships between sign language competences and spoken and written language abilities. The findings suggest that English-only approaches may not be suitable for d/Deaf students, who benefit from nurturing their bilingualism through BSL.
Research finds that Korean newspapers often focused on women learning Japanese for work and social purposes, not just reading novels. The ability to speak Japanese gave women new opportunities and challenged traditional roles in Korea.
A research by the LAELA group of the UJI has shown that multilingual educational programmes facilitate language and content learning. The study highlights the importance of promoting the mastery of English without neglecting other languages in the curriculum, as multilingual competence is an advantage for learning a foreign language.
A new Concordia study reveals that bilingualism is associated with larger and healthier hippocampi in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The research found no evidence of hippocampal atrophy in bilinguals across the continuum of Alzheimer’s development.
Researchers found that bilingual participants' ability to distinguish shades of color was influenced by the language used, shedding light on the dynamic interaction between language and perception. This phenomenon is known as 'code switching,' where the brain responds quickly to activated language.
A research team led by Professor Yow Wei Quin found that implementing cognitive training in a dual-language mode improves the cognitive abilities of older adults. The Dual-Language Intervention in Semantic memory – Computerised (DISC) tool is a game-based application designed to encourage independent play and improve cognitive function.
A Kobe University study finds that high-scoring essays prioritize complex meaning and diverse expressions, not grammatical complexity. The researcher advocates for a shift in test scoring rubrics to reflect this, suggesting 'contextually appropriate grammar' should be used instead of 'complex grammar'.
Early bilingualism may protect theory of mind abilities against normal age-related declines. The research team found that early bilingualism was associated with higher gray matter volume, greater cortical thickness, and larger surface area in brain regions involved in mental state inferences and language processes.
Researchers found that bilingual individuals were more efficient at ignoring irrelevant information compared to monolinguals. This ability is thought to arise from the constant language switching required in bilinguals. The study's findings suggest that bilingualism may have cognitive benefits, particularly in attentional control.
Researchers Joel Mejia and M. Sidury Christiansen are developing a handbook of recommended pedagogical approaches to address exclusionary language in engineering classes. They aim to improve the sense of belonging among multilingual students pursuing STEM careers by guiding faculty on strategies for changing biased language practices.
A new study by NYU Steinhardt researchers challenges the longstanding practice of segregating students with limited English proficiency. Despite controlled analysis for socioeconomic and academic factors, the study found no association between high EL concentrations and reading growth.
Visits to parents' countries of origin during holidays can boost heritage language fluency in bilingual children. Children who attended mainstream school and took additional Greek classes performed better in tests that targeted vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Children with greater language diversity are more sensitive to contextual factors when assessing an informant's reliability. This study found that bilingual children selectively trust informants who have provided accurate cues in the past, but not those who provide inaccurate cues. Bilingualism may enhance social-cognitive development ...
A new research project aims to promote dual-language development for children with autism in bilingual families. The study will examine the type of bilingual environment and factors related to their ability to speak or understand both languages.
A recent study by Concordia researchers found that 18% of Canadian children under 10 use or are exposed to at least two languages at home, with rates varying across provinces and territories. Bilingual exposure and immigration generation were identified as key predictors of bilingualism in young children.
Research found that bilingualism can slow down age-related changes in the human brain, with longer language proficiency linked to improved conflict resolution skills. Bilingual speakers showed better performance in a flanker task, indicating enhanced inhibitory executive control.
Researchers from UC Davis MIND Institute develop a home-based language testing method using telehealth, allowing Spanish-speaking parents to assess their children's language abilities. The study found the parent-led test to be feasible, reliable, and effective in both English and Spanish-speaking groups.
A recent study found that bilinguals use the same neural mechanism to combine words from different languages as they do with single-language expressions. This suggests that language switching is natural for bilinguals due to a combinatory mechanism in the brain that doesn't detect language changes.
A new study by Baycrest and York University found that studying Spanish improves working memory and executive function in older adults, similar to brain training. The participants reported greater enjoyment of the language learning experience.
Researchers found that bilinguals are better at spotting grammatical illusions, a type of manipulative discourse. Bilingual participants detected 56% of the constructions, while monolinguals only succeeded 39%. However, bilinguals needed more time to respond.
Researchers found that newer formulas considering lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, and cohesion predict ESL reading effort more accurately than traditional formulas. Eye-tracking data revealed that longer fixations, shorter movements, skipped words, and regressions indicate higher reading difficulty.
Autistic children who are bilingual show improved theory of mind and executive function skills compared to monolingual peers. Bilingualism enables children to partially compensate for deficits in these areas, allowing them to focus on one language while inhibiting another.
A recent study found that bilingual babies have a similar interest in infant-directed speech as monolingual babies, and are developmentally on track. The study showed that exposure to one language does not hinder the learning of another, and that parents can confidently babble to their babies in one or two languages.
Researchers found that actively speaking two languages contributes to cognitive reserve and delays the onset of symptoms associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Bilingual individuals had a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which is a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers found that actively using two languages enhances cognitive reserve and delays the onset of symptoms associated with cognitive decline and dementia. The study suggests that bilingualism is an important predictor of delay in the onset of mild cognitive impairment, a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease.
A new study found that bilingual children and adolescents had less shrinkage in grey matter compared to monolingual peers during brain development. This suggests that bilingualism may have long-term cognitive benefits. The study also revealed increased white matter, indicating more efficient brain communication.
Researchers found that active bilingualism protects against cognitive decline in older adults, improving executive control abilities. Bilingual individuals showed more efficient neural organization at language control regions, associated with better performance in goal maintenance and conflict monitoring tasks.
Researchers found that bilingual individuals had a shorter conversion time from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease than monolinguals. Despite this, bilinguals still experienced a faster decline once diagnosed with the disease.
A professor at Binghamton University analyzed Quebec's criticism of Justin Trudeau's French, finding it stems from linguistic purism and a bias towards monolingual French speakers. Bosworth argues that language is used to position Trudeau as an outsider in Quebec, despite his strong identification with French.
Research by University of Bangor and Basque Centre on Cognition, Brain and Language finds bilingualism reduces dyslexia symptoms in adults. Bilingual individuals experience less severe problems with English reading and phonological processes compared to monolingual dyslexics.
A comprehensive review of 152 studies on bilingualism and executive functions found no significant benefits for bilinguals. Bilingualism is beneficial for communication between people and cultures, but not for cognitive skills like focusing attention or switching tasks.
Research found that bilingual speakers' brain areas for executive control are less involved when conversing with another bilingual individual, unlike in artificial scenarios. In natural conversations, language switches require minimal executive control, engaging only auditory cortices.
Research finds bilingual brains are more efficient, recruiting fewer regions and specialized areas to process information. Bilinguals show improved focus and interference control, benefiting daily life and potentially staving off signs of aging.
A new study found that bi-dialectal children exhibited similar cognitive advantages as multilingual children, including improved memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. The research suggests that the ability to switch between two dialects of the same language provides mental stimulation and leads to higher cognitive performance.
Recent studies reveal that bilingualism alters brain networks for skilled cognition and fluent language performance, facilitating new learning.
Experts explore how learning a second language improves thinking skills, mental agility, and delays brain ageing. The event aims to share research findings on bilingualism with the public, highlighting its benefits for society through education and policymaking.
A study published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke found that bilingual patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive functions after a stroke. The research also showed that bilinguals performed better on post-stroke tests measuring attention and information retrieval.
Studies supporting bilingual advantage are more likely to be published than those contradicting it, potentially skewing the overall understanding of its effects on cognitive function. Researchers call for a critical review of scientific literature to ensure all findings are shared, regardless of outcome.
A recent study published in Annals of Neurology found that individuals who speak two or more languages may experience slower cognitive decline and improved cognitive abilities later in life. The research controlled for childhood intelligence and showed a significant impact on general intelligence, reading, and other cognitive functions.
A study of almost 650 dementia patients found that bilingual individuals experience a later onset of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Bilingualism appears to be a natural brain training that delays dementia onset.
A recent review suggests that training the less proficient language before or after aphasia onset results in bigger transfer effects on the untreated language. Semantic therapy approaches, such as stimulating word meanings, also facilitate transfer of therapy effects from one language to another.
A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that lifelong bilinguals perform a cognitive flexibility task faster and with less energy than monolingual peers. This suggests that lifelong bilingualism may exert its strongest benefits on the functioning of frontal brain regions in aging.
Research at Northwestern University reveals that bilingualism sharpens the brain's ability to encode basic sound patterns and improve attention. Bilingual speakers outperform monolingual peers in processing complex sounds under noisy conditions.
A new questionnaire has been designed to assess individual differences in bilinguals when changing languages. Research identifies several factors contributing to language switching, including proficiency, context, and unconscious changes. The study's findings suggest that bilingualism may have cognitive benefits, but more research is n...
A new study examined the role of bilingualism in children's development, finding slower language acquisition but better metalinguistic development. Bilingual children performed similarly to monolinguals in executive control tasks, but had an advantage when their languages overlapped.
Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital found that bilingual individuals have twice as much brain damage as unilingual people before they exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This delay may be due to the constant activation and compensation of brain networks in bilingual individuals.
Research suggests that bilingual speakers outperform monolinguals in certain mental abilities, such as editing out irrelevant information and prioritizing tasks. This 'mental juggling' skill allows bilinguals to better navigate between languages and enhances their cognitive flexibility.
Research reveals bilinguals outperform monolinguals in tasks requiring distraction-blocking and task-switching, potentially leading to improved cognitive outcomes. Bilingualism may also protect against age-related cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease.
A Canadian research team found that bilingual individuals experienced a delay in the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years. The study analyzed clinical records of over 200 patients and found that bilingualism contributed to cognitive reserve, delaying symptom onset.
A five-year, $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant supports a bilingual thinking and learning study at Penn State's Center for Language Science. The project aims to greatly expand the existing body of knowledge on the neural and cognitive processes involved in second language learning and bilingualism.
A University of Alberta study found that bilingual children's lexical recall is slightly lower than unilingual peers, but this is not a concern for French Immersion programs. Bilinguals showed improved recognition and translation skills, and demonstrated creative thinking in coming up with words to convey their meaning.