Doctoral Dissertation Research: Bilingual Language Modes and the Effect on Phonetic Production

双语者能够用他们的任何一种语言说话和倾听，但他们说话的最显著特征之一是“代码转换”，即同一话语中语言之间的交替。这项研究将检查代码转换的语音，以解决双语者如何在大脑中保持竞争语言的基本问题。语言模式是双语者沿着从单语到双语的言语连续体。以往关于语码转换语音学的研究产生了不同的结果，可能是由于缺乏对语言模式变量的关注。本研究假设单语模式下产生的语码转换与双语模式下产生的语码转换不同，语言转换有反应时间成本。心理语言学研究已经使用线索转换范式来检验这些反应时间成本。研究结果为语言转换的认知机制理论（如抑制控制）提供了实验证据。虽然以前的研究只集中在语言转换的影响，在词的水平，语言转换机制的综合理论也必须考虑在语音水平的影响。本研究将探讨语言转换的语音学，检验语音产生可能随反应时间成本而变化的假设。来自周边社区的早期西班牙语-英语双语者将参与一系列实验，包括更自然的口头生产范式，以及线索切换范式。许多参与者将是第一代大学生，他们代表了一个庞大但研究不足的人群，双语和语言转换是常态。

Bilinguals are able to speak and listen in either of their languages, but one of the most salient features of their speech is "code switching," the alternation between languages within the same utterance. This research will examine the phonetics of code switching to address the fundamental issue of how bilinguals maintain competing languages in the brain. One focus of the research is the impact of language mode, the speech continuum from monolingual to bilingual along which bilinguals operate. Previous research on the phonetics of code switching has produced divergent results, possibly due to the lack of attention to the language mode variable. The research hypothesis is that code switches produced in a more monolingual mode may differ from those produced in a more bilingual mode.Switching between languages has a reaction time cost. Psycholinguistic studies have used cued switching paradigms to examine these reaction time costs. Results provide experimental evidence for theories of the cognitive mechanisms governing language switching (e.g. Inhibitory Control). Although prior research has focused exclusively on the impact of language switching at the word level, a comprehensive theory of language switching mechanisms must also account for influence at the phonetic level. This research project will investigate the phonetics of language switching, testing the hypothesis that phonetic production may vary as a function of reaction time costs. Early Spanish-English bilinguals from the surrounding local community will participate in a series of experiments, including both a more naturalistic oral production paradigm, as well as a cued switching paradigm. Many participants will be first generation university students who represent a large but vastly under-researched population where bilingualism and language switching are the norm.