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.

该博士学位论文项目研究了美国双语者的先前经验和语言态度如何影响他们两种语言的言语感知。遗产语言双语者说是一种少数语言，他们与文化联系（例如西班牙语），但由于社会原因，在多数语言（例如美国英语）中占主导地位。在英语之后，西班牙语是美国最常使用的语言。美国的许多西班牙语者都是遗产演讲者（即移民的儿童和后代），但是西班牙遗产的墨西哥血统演讲者是研究中代表性不足的人群。进行该项目扩大了墨西哥裔美国人参与研究的参与。先前的研究表明，语言的不同经历，例如早期接受的语言曝光以及整个人的一生都会影响一个人的感知能力。遗产语言双语者对这种关系提供了独特的见解，因为遗产语言扬声器在经历和态度上都表现出很大的差异。尽管他们在早期的生活中主要接触过自己的遗产语言，但一旦开始正规教育，他们会转移到更多的多数语言输入和互动，从而导致了统治地位。像许多双语者一样，遗产扬声器代码开关（即，在一句话或对话中使用它们的两种语言），并且基于经验和态度的代码转换实践存在差异。该项目由两项实验研究组成，这些研究研究了语言经验和态度的差异如何影响西班牙遗产的讲话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演讲者的经验和西班牙语和英语的态度如何与他们每种语言的非本地人与本地说话者互动时会影响他们的言语感知。第二个调查了遗产演讲者的经历和态度如何影响对代码开关与单语言演讲的看法。这些研究的结果将提高人们对语言的社会经历和态度如何影响语音感知的理解，这反过来促进了对语言和认知的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过基金会的智力优点评估来支持的，并具有更广泛的影响。