Language Switching

1476 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effect of bilingualism

As an English native speaker, I embarked on learning a second language from an early age. Due to the fact I lived in an area with a lot of Spanish-speakers, I found it relevant to my lifestyle to learn Spanish. However, I can easily make it around every day without using my second language. However, there are borders that defy that statement. There are Spanish communities in the Northeastern province of Spain where Catalan is spoken along with Spanish. Psychologists have often question the effects of bilingualism on the brain, but have “often lacked information regarding the age of acquisition, the degree of proficiency and the degrees of exposure to a given language of the tested sample” (Garbin & et., al.) Garbin and other psychologists in Spain looked at this specific region of their country to test the switching back and forth of the two languages in high-proficient and early bilinguals and the effects on neural activity in the brain.

The high-proficient bilinguals are those who can create and understand complex thought in a language other than their native, while early bilinguals are those who have had the opportunity to use both languages and develop their skills from childhood up until adulthood. In these Spanish communities where languages switching is very common, psychologists are curious about the activity “at the core of the language control” (Garbin & et., al.) Previous research has revealed that language control affects areas of the brain that control executive control processes: the frontal and prefrontal cortex, left inferior and superior parietal cortices, the ACC and the caudate nucleus. The defined directions of the switch were that L1 to L2 is from the dominant language to the non-dominant language; L2 to L1 ...

... middle of paper ...

...ized if we were to start teaching children a second language at an early age and give them a more constant and rigorous second language curriculum. Instead of having a “Spanish class,” there are some elementary level and preschools that teach and talk half of the day in Spanish and the other half in English. I am curious to see their switching effects in comparison to these students who live in an environment where the two languages are intermingled. However, it makes me wonder what border towns of countries, like the US/Mexico border are like when it comes to these same tests.

Works Cited

Garbin, G. G., Costa, A. A., Sanjuan, A. A., Forn, C. C., Rodriguez-Pujadas, A. A., Ventura, N. N., & ... Ávila, C. C. (2011). Neural bases of language switching in high and early proficient bilinguals. Brain And Language, 119(3), 129-135. doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2011.03.011

Show More
Related

  • Bilingualism In Martin Espada's The New Bathroom

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    Learning new languages and cultures enhance the brain, but getting rid of them erases the soul. Bilingualism is an abstracted, virtually undefined word that seems to be stirring up complex discussions amongst various people. One example of the debating participants is Martin Espada with his essay, The New Bathroom Policy at English High School. He believes that the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking societies should coexist in harmony. Another example is Richard Rodriguez with his story, Hunger of Memory. He sees Spanish and English as two divergent worlds that shouldn’t interact. I believe that people should learn multiple views on bilingualism so we, as a whole, can figure out our difference and embrace, not erase, them.

    Read More

  • Bilingual Plasticity: Plasticity in the Brains of Bilinguals

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    The brain has always had an amazing ability to adapt to its circumstances, an evolutionary edge, coupled with humanities capacity for reason and logic has made for quite a versatile organ. Researching neuroplasticity and non-synaptic plasticity can lead to a better understanding of how the brain adapts as well as how a normal brain functions. Neuroplasticity has the potential to affect brain mechanism related to emotional, motivational and cognitive processes (Crocker, Heller, Warren, O'Hare, Infantolino & Miller, 2012). Another functional and extraordinary ability of the brain is language. Language can define so much about how we think and yet after a brief window of time we find it very difficult to learn new languages. It is certainly not impossible to learn a second or third language but, it seems to be the case that plasticity occurs more with children (Giannakopoulou, Uther & Ylinen, 2013). Perhaps because plasticity can occur during developmental stages when language development is taking place or younger brains are just have more plastic potential. Understanding how plasticity and bilingualism interrelate can give us a better picture of how the brain deals with language, how this stimuli causes neuroplasticity to occur and how that plasticity can effect language functions. Does developing bilingual skills cause brain plasticity?

    Read More

  • The Left Brain vs. The Right Brain: How Does This Impact Learning

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oflaz, M. (2011). The Effect of Right and Left Brain Dominance in Language Learning. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 1507-1513. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.320

    Read More

  • Bilingual Education and Latino Civil Rights

    1912 Words  | 4 Pages

    The number of English language learning (ELL) students in the U.S. has grown dramatically in the last decade. According to a 1991 national study, there are over 2,300,000 students in grades K through 12 who are English language learners (August & Hakuta, 1997). This number has grown by over 1,000,000 since 1984. The majority of these students are Spanish-speakers (73%), followed by Vietnamese-speakers (3.9%). Because the overwhelming proportion of ELL students are Spanish speakers, the issue of bilingual education is largely a Latino one.

    Read More

  • Bilingualism in the United States

    2585 Words  | 6 Pages

    Currently in the United States, about one in four, or twenty-six percent, of American adults can speak a language other than English (McComb). To be bilingual means to possess the ability to speak two languages, and a society that implements a bilingual approach is one that adapts means of everyday life, ranging from street signs to education, to the inevitabilities of more than one language. The United States is in debate on whether or not to adopt Spanish in conjunction with all English communication. In my opinion, to assume a bilingual society would create a separation in our country with two competing languages. There are multiple perspectives on the issue and to accurately form an opinion requires consideration of numerous aspects. The decision to undertake Spanish alongside English in all facets in the United States should be constructed on bilingual history, statistics, legal implications, supportive and defensive arguments, education dynamics, cultural factors, and the necessary provisions to our current society needed to implement such a system.

    Read More

  • The Responsibility of Bilingual Education

    498 Words  | 1 Pages

    Bilingual education in public schools has been the topic of much discussion over the last several years. This discussion has been prompted due to the ever increasing numbers of Spanish-speaking persons emigrating to the United States, especially in those states that border Mexico--California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. What the debate seems always to overlook is our country’s other non-English speaking members. This country is now and has always been the “Melting Pot” for the world with persons emigrating to this country from most every country in the world; however, we commonly gear the focus of bilingual education toward our Spanish-speaking citizens.

    Read More

  • Migrant Students’ Perspectives

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hammers, J.F., & Blanc, M.A. (1989). Social and psychological foundations of bilinguality. In P. Mardaga (Ed.), Bilinguality and Bilingualism (pp. 110-133). Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Read More

  • Passing for English Fluent: Latino Immigrant Children Masking Language Proficiency

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    While reading this article one of the most shocking sections were when the students were talking to Monzó and sharing their outlook on their place and their language’s place in society. These students even at this early age are feeling how devalued their first language has been. They feel like they have to speak the right* English, only use English in public places, never their first language, and that they must assimilate to the American culture as much as possible. This reminded me of a chapter in Lippi-Green (2012)’s text. Within this chapter Lippi-Green (2012) discusses how in the United States Spanish speakers are not only expected to learn English but they are expected to learn and utilize the right* English determined by the majority and assimilate entirely to American culture. Throughout Monzó and Rueda (2009)’s text the children in conversations expressed their observation of the social order in relation to language and race. This was surprising to me since they are only in 5th grade. During a conversation with one of the children Monzó and Rueda (2009) recorded an alarming statement, “He said that his mother could not be considered American because she did not...

    Read More

  • A Language Barrier

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    From my experience, bilingual education was a disadvantage during my childhood. At the age of twelve, I was introduced into a bilingual classroom for the first time. The crowded classroom was a combination of seventh and eighth grade Spanish-speaking students, who ranged from the ages of twelve to fifteen. The idea of bilingual education was to help students who weren’t fluent in the English language. The main focus of bilingual education was to teach English and, at the same time, teach a very basic knowledge of the core curriculum subjects: Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Unfortunately, bilingual education had academic, psychological, and social disadvantages for me.

    Read More

  • Bilingualism And Working Memory Essay

    1504 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hypothesis: Bilingual brains are better at temporarily storing and manipulating information in working memory in their first language, but varying in the second.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Learning a Second Language in Adulthood

    2277 Words  | 5 Pages

    For the purposes of this paper, I have defined adulthood as including any person who is at or above the age of eighteen, because there is so little research on language learning in early adulthood versus middle or late adulthood. It is not possible to find studies about particular divisions of adulthood that have been verified by subsequent research trials, so I have included research about all ages of adulthood. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the major aspects of the body of research literature that separates adult second language learning from that of natural bilingual persons, including full immersion into the language, biological and neurological factors, the structure of both the native and second languages, age of acqui...

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of Bilingualism

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is a “CORELATION” between the effects of “BILINGUALISM AND THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN”.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education in Malaysia.

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    The development of the brain of a bilingual individual is better than a monolingual individual. Few years ago, researchers from the University of Washington (as cited in Klass, 2011, para 4.) found that the brains of bilingual infants (from families where two languages were spoken) are able to discriminate the different of the phonetic sound of the languages they usually heard when they grew up than monolingual infants in where their brains were adapted to only identify their mother tongue only. Dr. Patricia Kuhl, one of the members of this research team thus believe that bilingual education can shape infants’ brains and keep them ready for future challenges. Concurrently, a renowned psychologist, Dr. Ellen...

    Read More

  • Language Acquisition of Genie outside of the Critical Period

    2248 Words  | 5 Pages

    Eric Lenneberg was first to propose a critical period for acquisition of a first or native language beginning around age two, and ending with the onset of puberty. Lenneberg theorized that language acquisition was not possible before age two because of a lack of maturation; and later language acquisition was inhibited by a loss of cerebral plasticity. Lenneberg believed brain lateralization occurred around the time of puberty when the cerebral dominance of the language function is complete. Arguing that the left hemisphere houses specific areas readied for language acquisition, with studies of children who have exposure to language withheld through this critical period show “atypical patterns of brain lateralization”. Lateralization is key during this critical period as children naturally and easily acquire the skills for ...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Bilingual Education

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Learning a second language not only has cognitive and academic benefits, it also supports a greater sense of openness to, and appreciation for, other cultures” (Tochen, 2009). For many students in the United States, English is not the primary language spoken at home. There are several options for getting these children to reach proficiency in the English Language. However, there is only one model that preserves the child’s first language, while also gaining literacy in English. This model is Bilingual Education. Bilingual education is not new to the United States. It in fact started in 1968 under title VII. However, there is still a lot for the general public, and parents of language learners, to learn about this form of education. Bilingual

    Read More

More about Language Switching

Open Document