Marie-Claude Tremblay (SML): An Ear for Details
The Positive Effects of Bilingualism and Multilingualism on Speech Perception
Location: Old Library Building, Beehive 2.20
Time/Date: 16th February 2012, 16:00 - 17:00
Now online: ReCap (powerpoint presentation with audio)
An Ear for Details: The Positive Effects of Bilingualism and Multilingualism on Speech Perception
Research has shown that linguistic experience in the first few years of life shapes speech perception, causing it to shift from a language-general to a language-specific mode (Burns et al., 2007), making it increasingly difficult to learn new speech sounds in a foreign language. Thanks to their extensive language learning experience, bilinguals and multilinguals are often thought to have superior cognitive abilities compared to monolinguals (Bialystok et al, 2004; Nation & McLaughlin, 1986; Nayak et al., 1990; Thomas, 1988). Is it also the case that individuals who have learned several languages have an enhanced perceptual sensitivity to new phonetic contrasts? The aim of this study is to demonstrate that language learning experience contributes to the maintenance of a greater level of neurophysiological plasticity which in turn facilitates the learning of new sounds.
Published: 13th January 2012