Doctoral Dissertation Research: Linking comprehension costs to production patterns during the processing of mixed language

语码转换是指双语话语中两种语言的交替，在许多双语社区中普遍存在，包括美国的西班牙语-英语双语社区。该项目的动机来自这样一个事实，即双语者的代码转换能力揭示了语言和人类认知的重要方面，而通过研究只说一种语言的人不容易看出这一点。大多数语码转换研究都集中在自然语料收集的口语产出上；然而，双语者理解语码转换的方式在很大程度上还没有被探索过。这是一个很大的差距，因为语码转换不仅仅是一种产生现象：当说话者产生一个语码转换的句子时，信息的接受者也必须使用能够适应两种语言混合的口译机制。鉴于这一差距，罗莎·古扎多·塔玛戈在Paola Dussias博士和Chip Gerfen博士的指导下，将研究指导代码转换句子理解的制约因素。这一假设是从当前的语言理解模型中得出的，该假说预测，在生产过程中频繁的转换比不频繁的转换更容易被个体理解。将考察两种类型的代码开关的理解：频繁发生的涉及ESTAR+动词的代码开关(例如，播放Los niños Están)和不频繁的涉及Haber+动词的代码开关(例如，播放Los niños habían)。所采用的方法是将阅读理解任务和产出任务结合起来。当西班牙语-英语双语者阅读代码互换的句子时，眼睛运动将被记录下来。还将收集来自相同双语者的产出数据，以测试理解容易程度与产出频率之间的联系。这些实验的结果将为目前关于人类句子处理机制的架构以及产生和理解系统之间的联系的辩论提供信息。计划中的研究还将通过在两个美国机构建立教职员工和学生之间的合作机会来加强研究的基础设施。

Codeswitching, defined as the alternation of two languages within bilingual discourse, is ubiquitous in many bilingual communities, including Spanish-English bilingual communities in the U.S. The motivation for this project derives from the fact that bilinguals' ability to codeswitch reveals important aspects of language and human cognition that would not be readily apparent by studying individuals who speak one language alone. Most codeswitching studies have focused on spoken production by means of naturalistic data collection; however, the way in which bilinguals comprehend switches has been largely unexplored. This is a significant gap because codeswitching is not only a production phenomenon: when a speaker produces a codeswitched sentence, the recipient of the message must also engage interpretive mechanisms that can accommodate the mixing of two languages. Given this gap, Rosa Guzzardo Tamargo, under the direction of Drs. Paola Dussias and Chip Gerfen, will investigate the constraints that guide the comprehension of codeswitched sentences. The hypothesis being tested, which derives from current models of language comprehension, predicts that frequent switches in production are easier for individuals to comprehend than less frequent switches. The comprehension of two types of codeswitches will be examined: frequently occurring codeswitches involving estar + verb (e.g., los niños están playing) and infrequent codeswitches involving haber + verb (e.g., los niños habían played). The approach to be used integrates reading comprehension tasks with production tasks. Eye movements will be recorded while Spanish-English bilinguals read codeswitched sentences. Production data from the same bilinguals will also be collected to test the link between ease of comprehension and production frequency. Results from these experiments will inform current debates about the architecture of the human sentence processing mechanism and the link between the production and comprehension systems. The planned studies will also enhance the infrastructure for research by establishing opportunities for collaboration between faculty members and students at two U.S. institutions.