Bilingualism and attentional processes in the age and language proficiency continuum.

加拿大是一个民族、语言和文化非常多样化的国家。许多加拿大人会说两种或两种以上的语言，通常包括一种或两种官方语言。终身双语也与大脑结构及其功能的变化有关，但我们还没有确定这些变化与注意力增强之间的联系。这些优势似乎因年龄和第二语言的使用和熟练程度而异，但目前还没有研究表明年龄、第二语言的使用和熟练程度、注意力和大脑之间的联系。在过去的6年里，我的团队建立了一个原创的、结构化的研究项目，旨在回答这些问题。我们已经发现了一些重要的线索。关于注意力和大脑的三个相互关联的研究是NSERC提案的支柱。在我的指导下，一组才华横溢的研究人员将使用最先进的科学工具和方法来解决每个问题，并整合答案，以真正理解说多种语言可能导致认知和大脑优势的机制。***这项工作对加拿大这个官方双语国家很重要。学习第二语言可能是一项长期的认知投资，以一系列神经和认知资源的形式，可以帮助人们应对与年龄相关的认知能力下降，并有助于他们的健康。我们的后续计划将允许我们检查通过在生命后期教授一种或多种语言来诱导积极的神经和行为变化的可能性。从学术的角度来看，这项工作将提供对第二语言使用能力、注意力和大脑之间复杂相互作用的全面理解，并为未来研究引发认知和大脑积极变化的其他生活经验因素提供基础。鉴于认知功能对我们日常生活的重要性以及我们社会中老年人数量的增加，这是一个很有前途的研究领域。*********Houle， R. & Corbeil， J.P（2016）加拿大2011至2036年的语言预测。种族、语言及移民专题系列。加拿大统计局。* *

Canada is a nation of great ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. Many Canadians speak 2 or more languages, usually including one or both official ones (Houle attention. Lifelong bilingualism has also been associated with changes in the brain's structure and how it functions, but we have not yet established the link between these changes and enhanced attention. These advantages seem to vary depending on age and second language usage and proficiency, but no work has yet addressed the links between age, second language usage and proficiency, attention and the brain.***In the last 6 years, my team has established an original, structured research program designed to answer these questions. We have already identified some important clues. Three interrelated studies on attention and the brain are the backbone of this NSERC proposal. A team of talented researchers under my supervision will use state-of-the art scientific tools and methods to address each question and integrate the answers to gain a real understanding of the mechanisms by which speaking more than one language could lead to cognitive and brain advantages.***This work is important for Canada, an officially bilingual country. Learning a second language may represent a long-term cognitive investment, in the form of an array of neural and cognitive resources that could, among other things, help people cope with age-related cognitive decline and contribute to their well-being. Our follow-up program will allow us to examine the possibility of inducing positive neural and behavioural changes by teaching one or more languages late in life. From an academic perspective, this work will provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between second language usage proficiency, attention, and the brain, and provide the basis for future research on other life experience factors that trigger positive changes in cognition and the brain. Given the importance of cognitive functions to our everyday life and the increase in the number of elderly people in our society, this is a promising research field.*********Houle, R. & Corbeil, J.P (2016) Language Projections for Canada 2011 to 2036. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. Statistics Canada.**