Language and Conceptual Development: Role of Language Differences and Bilingualism in the Development of Spatial Concepts Among Tzotzil Maya & Spanish Speaking Adults and Chil

语言和概念发展：语言差异和双语在 Tzotzil 玛雅人空间概念发展中的作用

• 批准号: 0726107
• 负责人: Norbert Ross
• 金额: $ 24.66万
• 依托单位: Vanderbilt University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2013-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0726107&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Language; Conceptual; Development; Role; Differences

This project addresses several related issues within the domain of culture, language and cognition. Looking at the domain of spatial cognition, the proposed studies focus on whether and how language influences the way humans encode spatial relations in non-linguistic situations; the developmental trajectory of both acquisition of spatial language and spatial concepts; and the role of bilingualism in the acquisition and use of spatial concepts.The study location harbors both monolingual Spanish and Tzotzil Maya speakers as well as a sizeable number of bilingual individuals. Compared to Spanish, Tzotzil Maya does not make use of relative (to the body) spatial references such as "right" and "left". It has been proposed that such language differences will affect non-linguistic spatial cognition. However, the research findings are less than clear, in part due to the treatment of language as an independent variable. The current research overcomes some of the previous shortcomings both through a unique combination of ethnographic and experimental research, and a unique study site. In addition to focus on cross-language differences the study explores intra-group differences, exploring other potential factors that could account for differences in non-linguistic spatial reasoning. These differences are traced through the development. Research with children is supported through a unique setting, the Vanderbilt Chochom' Summer school. This summer school not only provides a large number of kids to be interviewed, but more importantly provides an ideal space within which children can be interviewed in a relaxed and natural setting.

该项目涉及文化、语言和认知领域内的若干相关问题。 在空间认知领域，语言是否以及如何影响人类在非语言环境中对空间关系的编码，空间语言和空间概念的习得发展轨迹，空间认知的发展趋势。以及双语在空间概念的获取和使用中的作用。研究地点既有单语西班牙语和佐齐尔玛雅人，也有大量的双语人。与西班牙语相比，Tzotzil Maya不使用相对（相对于身体）的空间参考，如“右”和“左”。 有人提出，这种语言差异会影响非语言的空间认知。 然而，研究结果不太清楚，部分原因是将语言作为自变量处理。 目前的研究克服了以往的一些缺点，既通过一个独特的结合民族志和实验研究，和一个独特的研究地点。除了关注跨语言差异外，该研究还探讨了组内差异，探索了其他可能导致非语言空间推理差异的潜在因素。 这些差异可以通过发展来追踪。与儿童的研究是通过一个独特的设置，范德比尔特Chochom'暑期学校支持。 这个暑期学校不仅提供了大量的孩子接受采访，但更重要的是提供了一个理想的空间，孩子们可以在轻松和自然的环境中接受采访。