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

这一博士论文项目考察了美国传统双语者先前的经历和语言态度如何影响他们对两种语言的言语感知。传统语言双语者将他们与之有文化联系的少数民族语言作为第一语言(如西班牙语)，但由于社会原因，已成为占多数的语言的主导语言(如美国英语)。继英语之后，西班牙语是美国使用频率最高的语言。在美国，许多讲西班牙语的人(即儿童和移民后裔)说的是传统，而墨西哥裔讲西班牙语的人在研究中代表的比例很低。开展这一项目扩大了墨西哥裔美国人参与研究的范围。先前的研究表明，与语言有关的不同经历，如早年和一生中接触到的语言，都会影响一个人的感知能力。遗产语言双语者提供了对这种关系的独特见解，因为说遗产语言的人在经历和态度上都有很大的不同。尽管他们在早年主要接触到他们的传统语言，但一旦他们开始正规学校教育，就会转向更多的大多数语言输入和互动，导致主导地位的转变。与许多双语者一样，传统语言使用者也会进行语码转换(即在一句话或一次对话中同时使用两种语言)，基于经验和态度的语码转换实践也有所不同。该项目包括两项实验研究，考察语言经验和态度的差异如何影响西班牙语传统说话者对两种语言的言语感知。第一个重点是更好地了解传统说话者在与非母语者和母语者以各自的语言进行互动时，他们对西班牙语和英语的经验和态度如何影响他们的言语感知。第二个研究考察了传统说话人的经历和态度如何影响人们对语码转换和单一语言言语的感知。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，进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优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.