Doctoral Dissertation Research: The effects of experience and attitudes on heritage bilinguals' language processing

博士论文研究：经验和态度对传统双语者语言处理的影响

• 批准号: 2141430
• 负责人: Matthew Goldrick
• 金额: $ 1.35万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2141430&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; effects; experience

This doctoral dissertation project examines how the prior experiences and language attitudes of heritage speaker bilinguals in the United States influences their speech perception in both languages. Heritage language bilinguals speak as a first language a minority language that they have cultural ties to (e.g., Spanish), but, because of societal reasons, have become dominant in the majority language (e.g., American English). After English, Spanish is the most frequently spoken language in the United States. Many Spanish speakers in the U.S. are heritage speakers (i.e., children and descendants of immigrants), yet Spanish heritage speakers of Mexican descent are an underrepresented population in research. Conducting this project broadens the participation of Mexican Americans in research. Prior research has shown that different experiences with language, such as the language exposure received in one's early years, as well as throughout one's life, affect a person's perceptual abilities. Heritage language bilinguals offer unique insight into this relationship as heritage language speakers exhibit significant variation in both experiences and attitudes. Although they are mainly exposed to their heritage language in their early lives, once they begin formal schooling, there is a shift to more majority language input and interactions, leading to a switch in dominance. Like many bilinguals, heritage speakers code-switch (i.e., use both of their languages in one sentence or conversation), and there is variation in code-switching practices based on experience and attitudes. The project consists of two experimental studies that examine how variation in language experience and attitudes affects Spanish heritage speakers' speech perception in both their languages. The first focuses on better understanding how heritage speakers' experience and attitudes with Spanish and English affects their speech perception when they interact with non-native vs. native talkers in each of their languages. The second investigates how heritage speakers' experiences and attitudes impacts perception of code-switched vs. single language speech. The results of these studies will advance the understanding of how social experiences and attitudes towards language influence speech perception, which in turn advance the understanding of language and cognition.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个博士论文项目探讨了如何在美国的遗产扬声器双语者的先前经验和语言态度影响他们的言语感知在两种语言。传统语言双语者把他们有文化联系的少数民族语言作为第一语言（例如，西班牙语），但由于社会原因，已成为占主导地位的多数语言（例如，美式英语）。在英语之后，西班牙语是美国最常用的语言。许多在美国说西班牙语的人都是传统语言的使用者（即，儿童和移民后裔），但墨西哥血统的西班牙遗产发言人在研究中代表性不足。开展这一项目扩大了墨西哥裔美国人在研究中的参与。先前的研究表明，不同的语言体验，如早年和一生中接受的语言接触，会影响一个人的感知能力。传统语言双语者对这种关系提供了独特的见解，因为传统语言的使用者在经验和态度上都表现出显着的变化。虽然他们主要是在早年接触到他们的传统语言，但一旦他们开始正规教育，就会转向更多的多数语言输入和互动，导致主导地位的转变。像许多双语者一样，传统的发言者代码转换（即，在一句话或对话中使用两种语言），而且根据经验和态度，语码转换的做法也各不相同。该项目包括两项实验研究，研究语言经验和态度的变化如何影响西班牙语传统发言者在两种语言中的言语感知。第一个重点是更好地理解遗产扬声器的经验和态度与西班牙语和英语影响他们的语音感知时，他们与非母语与母语说话者在他们的每一种语言。第二部分研究了传统语言使用者的经验和态度如何影响语码转换与单语语音的感知。这些研究的结果将促进对社会经验和对语言的态度如何影响言语感知的理解，从而促进对语言和认知的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。