Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Novel Approach to Investigate Psychological Processes in Language: Contrasting Bilinguals and Interpreters

在许多比较双语者和单语者的研究中，研究人员发现双语者在某些认知控制措施上优于单语者。这就是所谓的双语优势。双语优势最有可能是由双语者在两种语言之间定期切换的经验及其各自的语法特性造成的。为了在语言之间适当地切换，双语者必须a）根据语言环境控制目标语言的选择，以及B）解决竞争性选择之间的冲突。 如果这一假设是正确的，那么1）进行的语言转换和语言冲突解决越多，她将拥有越多的认知优势，2）双语者管理语言转换和冲突的经验越多，她将拥有越多的认知优势。为了调查这一说法，研究人员正在招募大学生参加培训计划，这些培训计划要么a）接受培训以管理低水平的双语语言转换和冲突，例如学习第二语言，即手语，与母语口语竞争较少，要么B）接受培训以管理高水平的双语语言转换和冲突，特别是同声传译。同声传译是一项复杂的认知任务，在这项任务中，双语者必须同时理解和产生两种具有不同语法特性的语言。参与者是开始或先进的学生（在低开关/冲突和高开关/冲突组），使经验的作用也将进行调查。此外，研究人员正在为每个组招募双峰（手语-口语）双语者和单峰（口语-口语）双语者。对参与者进行各种语言能力和认知能力测量。这项研究将谈到单峰和双峰双语者之间的差异和相似之处，并将调查基于语言转换和冲突解决的数量和管理转换和冲突的经验的认知增强的作用。 这也将有助于培养一个有前途的学者。

In many studies comparing bilinguals to monolinguals, researchers have found that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on certain measures of cognitive control. This is called the bilingual advantage. The bilingual advantage most likely is caused by the bilingual's experience regularly switching between two languages and their respective grammatical properties. In order to appropriately switch between languages, the bilingual must a) control the selection of the target language according to the linguistic environment and b) resolve conflict between competing alternatives. If this hypothesis is true, then 1) the more language switching performed and language conflict resolved, the more cognitive advantage she will have, and 2) the more experience a bilingual has managing language switching and conflict, the more cognitive advantage she will have. In order to investigate this claim, the researchers are recruiting college students in training programs that are either a) being trained to manage low levels of bilingual language switching and conflict such as learning a second language that is a signed language, which competes less with the native spoken language, or b) being trained to manage high levels of bilingual language switching and conflict, specifically simultaneous interpreting. Simultaneous interpreting is a complex cognitive task in which the bilingual must concurrently comprehend and produce two languages with differing grammatical properties. The participants are either beginning or advanced students (in both the low-switch/conflict and the high-switch/conflict groups) so that the role of experience will also be investigated. In addition, the researchers are recruiting both bimodal (signed language-spoken language) bilinguals and unimodal (spoken language-spoken language) bilinguals for each of the groups. A variety of language ability and cognitive ability measures are administered to the participants. The research will speak to differences and similarities between unimodal and bimodal bilinguals, and will investigate the role of cognitive enhancement based on amount of language switching and conflict resolution and experience managing the switching and conflict. It will also contribute to the training of a promising scholar.