Alignment in lingua receptiva: from automaticity towards monitored code-switching

Psycholinguistic alignment is a process in which interlocutors automatically adapt their lexical, structural and conceptual representations, enhancing both comprehension and production. Multilingual constellations also demonstrate alignment patterns, but rely on more monitoring than automatic alignment. This paper focuses on lingua receptiva – a multilingual communicative mode in which speakers use their own language and have enough proficiency to understand each other. Whenever L2 proficiency does not guarantee mutual understanding, compensatory strategies such as code-switching (CS) can be applied. In actual mono- and multilingual constellations, it is more common to use one language at a time, yet in this experiment the participants were invited to communicate in the mode of lingua receptiva. Nonetheless, CS occurred in the data and was analysed in the framework of language contact. Alternations and insertions were the main forms, and their distribution depended on L2 proficiency, attitudes and exposure. It is concluded that CS can function as an alignment strategy

Limited common ground, unlimited communicative success : an experimental study into Lingua Receptiva using Estonian and Russian

Previous research on Estonian-Russian interaction suggests that lingua receptiva (LaRa), or Receptive Multilingualism, has the potential to create, boost or restore common ground, or mutual understanding, in situations where common ground is jeopardized. This mode is characterized by the simultaneous use of multiple languages as interlocutors each speak their mother tongue and count on the receptive skills of the other. Alignment in the LaRa mode was tested in a series of experiments. The use of various meta-communicative strategies provided insight into the mechanisms behind LaRa. Their distribution was influenced somewhat by L2 proficiency and exposure to multilingual communicative situations. Interestingly, higher L2 knowledge was not a prerequisite for success. Moreover, it was the composition of the dyad rather than the characteristics of the individuals that had predictive power regarding communicative success.Peer reviewe

Alignment in <i>lingua receptiva</i>: from automaticity towards monitored code-switching

Psycholinguistic alignment is a process in which interlocutors automatically adapt their lexical, structural and conceptual representations, enhancing both comprehension and production. Multilingual constellations also demonstrate alignment patterns, but rely on more monitoring than automatic alignment. This paper focuses on lingua receptiva – a multilingual communicative mode in which speakers use their own language and have enough proficiency to understand each other. Whenever L2 proficiency does not guarantee mutual understanding, compensatory strategies such as code-switching (CS) can be applied. In actual mono- and multilingual constellations, it is more common to use one language at a time, yet in this experiment the participants were invited to communicate in the mode of lingua receptiva. Nonetheless, CS occurred in the data and was analysed in the framework of language contact. Alternations and insertions were the main forms, and their distribution depended on L2 proficiency, attitudes and exposure. It is concluded that CS can function as an alignment strategy

Limited common ground, unlimited communicative success: an experimental study into Lingua Receptiva using Estonian and Russian [Piiratud ühisteadmised, piiramatud suhtlusvõimalused: eesti-vene retseptiivse kakskeelsuse eksperimentaaluuring]

Eesti-vene suhtluse uuringu põhjal võib järeldada, et retseptiivne mitmekeelsus (lingua receptiva ehk LaRa) on üks mitmekeelse kommunikatsiooni viise, millel on potentsiaali nn ühise aluse (ingl. common ground) ehk kooskõlastatud vestluse loomiseks, võimendamiseksning taastamiseks olukordades, kus ühiselt jagatud teadmisedei garanteeri sujuvat suhtlemist. Lingua receptiva on mitmekeelne suhtlemisviis, kus kaasvestlejad räägivad oma emakeelt ning püüavad üksteise mõistmiseni jõuda, tuginedes oma võõr- või teise keeleoskustele.Psühholingvistilist joondumist (ingl. psycholinguistic alignment)kui protsessi on vaadeldud eksperimentaalsetes olukordades. Erinevate meta-kommunikatiivsete strateegiate kasutamine annab ettekujutuse protsessidest, mis on lingua receptiva taga. Tulemuste põhjal on selgitatud, et nende strateegiate valik oli osaliselt tingitud võõrkeele valdamise tasemest ja varasematest mitmekeelsuse kogemustest, kuid eksperimendi tulemus ei sõltunud otseselt keeleoskustasemest. Enamgi veel, dialoogi tulemuse prognoosimiseks on ainuüksi vestluspartnerite individuaalsete omaduste teadmisest vähe, olulisem on teada dialoogi partnerite ühiseid omadusi