Bilinguismo e controle inibitório: possíveis interferências das variáveis “profissão” e “escolaridade”

Recent studies have presented controversial results concerning the bilingual advantage (i.e., bilinguals’ tendency to outperform monolinguals on nonlinguistic interference tasks measuring executive functions (EFs) such as executive control (EC), attention, inhibition, problem solving). Recent research has shown that bilinguals tend to show a more robust advantage in overall reaction times (RTs), rather than an advantage on the magnitude of the interference effect. Irrespective of nature, the so-called bilingual advantage has been found in different age groups, but sometimes no bilingual advantage is actually found. This study investigates the consequences of bilingualism on inhibitory control, focusing on two variables that may compete with the bilingual advantage: “profession” and “level of education”. Two groups of highly-educated middle-aged professionals, businesspeople and teachers/professors, divided into bi/monolinguals, were tested in a nonverbal cognitive task, the Simon task, in order to replicate previous studies which have found a bilingual advantage in the interference effect for the same age group. Although bilinguals outperformed their monolingual counterparts, no signifi cant statistical differences were found in the interference effect, and both language groups were faster in the incongruent trials than in the congruent ones, resulting in null interference effects and thus countering the initial idea that participants always take longer to respond to incongruent trials. Results suggest that certain professional activities, as well as higher levels of education might act as confounds with the bilingual advantage.Keywords: bilingualism, executive functions, inhibitory control.Estudos recentes apresentaram resultados controversos quanto à vantagem bilíngue (i.e., tendência de bilíngues de superar monolíngues em tarefas de interferência não-linguística que medem funções executivas (FEs) como controle executivo (CE), atenção, inibição, resolução de problemas). Pesquisas recentes mostraram que bilíngues tendem a apresentar vantagem mais robusta em tempos de reação (TRs) globais do que na magnitude do efeito de interferência. Independentemente de sua natureza, a chamada vantagem bilíngue já foi achada em diferentes grupos etários, mas às vezes nenhuma vantagem bilíngue é encontrada. Este estudo investiga as consequências do bilinguismo no controle inibitório, focando em duas variáveis que podem competir com a vantagem bilíngue: “profissão” e “escolaridade”. Dois grupos de adultos de meia-idade com alta escolaridade, executivos e professores, divididos em bi/monolíngues, foram testados em uma tarefa cognitiva não-verbal, a tarefa de Simon, a fi m de replicar estudos prévios que encontraram uma vantagem bilíngue quanto ao efeito de interferência no mesmo grupo etário. Embora os bilíngues tenham superado seus pares monolíngues, nenhuma diferença significativa foi encontrada no efeito de interferência, e ambos os grupos linguísticos foram mais rápidos nos ensaios incongruentes do que nos congruentes, resultando em efeitos de interferência nulos, contrariando a ideia inicial de que os participantes sempre demoram mais para responder aos ensaios incongruentes. Os resultados sugerem que certas atividades profissionais, bem como altos níveis de escolaridade, podem interferir com a vantagem bilíngue.Palavras-chave: bilinguismo, funções executivas, controle inibitório

Produção e percepção oral em l2: os processos de transferência do conhecimento grafo fônico-fonológico do português brasileiro (L1) para o inglês (L2) e o desempenho em listening (L2)

This study aims to establish a connection between L2 speech production and perception by contrasting the findings garnered from English word and nonword naming tasks performed by 156 Brazilian students of English with their scores at the listening section of TOIEC (Test of English for International Communication). The production-perception relationship is approached in an original fashion in this investigation, since data gathered from L2 production in word and nonword naming tasks is compared to the participants’ performance in listening comprehension tasks of longer excerpts of native speech – rather than perceptual tests of phones or words only. First, we investigated the rate of use of nine grapho-phonic-phonological transfer processes among 156 adult Brazilian ESL students according to their level of proficiency during word and nonword naming sessions. The findings showed a steep and significant decrease in the rate of use of processes of transfer as the level during ESL word production as the participants’ level of proficiency increased. However, when reading nonwords, the students’ performance worsened a great deal, that is, the rate of use of most transfer processes increased regardless of the subjects’ levels of proficiency. Second, in order to assert whether there could be connections between the production results and L2 speech perception. We found inverse and significant correlations

The influence of orthography on a lexical access task involving L2 (French) and L3 (English) of a multilingual individual: A dynamic systems approach

This article presents a case study investigating, bymeans of a DST (Dynamic Systems Theory) perspective, the effects of orthography on L2 (French) – L3 (English) processing during atask of lexical access measuring reaction time. Apart from suggesting the prevalence of grapho-phonic-phonological transfer from L2 intoL3, the results also provide evidence of grapho-phonic-phonological transfer from L3 into L2. Such results are in consonance with the dynamic approach to cognition, enabling the interaction between previous knowledge from L1 and L2 and the knowledge of a new L3.Key words: multilingualism, L2-L3 phonetic-phonological transfer, orthography effects.</p

Uma visão dinâmica da produção da fala em L2 : o caso da dessonorização terminal

Este artigo apresenta um apanhado teórico das diferentes abordagens sobre a aprendizagem fonético-fonológica de segunda língua, destacando a concepção dinâmica para o estudo da produção e da percepção de fala em L2. Para isso, o processo de interfonologia chamado Dessonorização Terminal é revisitado nessas abordagens. Por fim, novos dados empíricos sobre esse processo são apresentados, com um estudo entre 15 falantes adultos brasileiros aprendizes de inglês e 5 falantes nativos do inglês americano. A descrição e discussão dos resultados oferecem evidências para uma visão dinâmica da aprendizagem da fala em L2.This article presents an overview of different accounts of L2 phonetic-phonological learning, underscoring the dynamical approach to the study of L2 speech production and perception. For that purpose, the interphonology process of Terminal Devoicing in English is revisited in these accounts. New empirical data on this process are presented through a study involving 15 adult Brazilian speakers learners of English, and 5 North-American participants. The description and discussion of the findings offer evidence for a dynamic view of second language speech learning

Bilingualism and inhibitory control: Possible confounds with the variables “profession” and “level of education”

Recent studies have presented controversial results concerning the bilingual advantage (i.e., bilinguals’ tendency to outperform monolinguals on nonlinguistic interference tasks measuring executive functions (EFs) such as executive control (EC), attention, inhibition, problem solving). Recent research has shown that bilinguals tend to show a more robust advantage in overall reaction times (RTs), rather than an advantage on the magnitude of the interference effect. Irrespective of nature, the so-called bilingual advantage has been found in different age groups, but sometimes no bilingual advantage is actually found. This study investigates the consequences of bilingualism on inhibitory control, focusing on two variables that may compete with the bilingual advantage: “profession” and “level of education”. Two groups of highly-educated middle-aged professionals, businesspeople and teachers/professors, divided into bi/monolinguals, were tested in a nonverbal cognitive task, the Simon task, in order to replicate previous studies which have found a bilingual advantage in the interference effect for the same age group. Although bilinguals outperformed their monolingual counterparts, no signifi cant statistical differences were found in the interference effect, and both language groups were faster in the incongruent trials than in the congruent ones, resulting in null interference effects and thus countering the initial idea that participants always take longer to respond to incongruent trials. Results suggest that certain professional activities, as well as higher levels of education might act as confounds with the bilingual advantage.Keywords: bilingualism, executive functions, inhibitory control.</p

A influência da grafia em tarefa de acesso lexical envolvendo a L2 (francês) e a L3 (inglês) de um multilíngue: uma abordagem via sistemas dinâmicos

This article presents a case study investigating, bymeans of a DST (Dynamic Systems Theory) perspective, the effects of orthography on L2 (French) – L3 (English) processing during atask of lexical access measuring reaction time. Apart from suggesting the prevalence of grapho-phonic-phonological transfer from L2 intoL3, the results also provide evidence of grapho-phonic-phonological transfer from L3 into L2. Such results are in consonance with the dynamic approach to cognition, enabling the interaction between previous knowledge from L1 and L2 and the knowledge of a new L3.Key words: multilingualism, L2-L3 phonetic-phonological transfer, orthography effects.Este trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso que tratou, numa perspectiva dinâmica, do efeito da grafi a em tarefa de acesso lexical envolvendo o francês (L2) e o inglês (L3) de um multilíngue falante de português brasileiro como L1. Os resultados da tarefa, avaliados em termos de tempo de reação, sugerem a predominância da transferência grafo-fônico-fonológica da L2 para a L3 e também fornecem evidências de transferência grafo-fônico-fonológica da L3 para a L2. Tais resultados estão em consonância com o referencial dinâmico adotado neste trabalho,possibilitando a interação entre o conhecimento prévio da L1 e da L2 e o conhecimento novo da L3.Palavras-chave: multilinguismo, transferência fonético-fonológica L2-L3, efeitos de grafia

Bilinguismo e controle inibitório: possíveis interferências das variáveis “profissão” e “escolaridade”

Recent studies have presented controversial results concerning the bilingual advantage (i.e., bilinguals’ tendency to outperform monolinguals on nonlinguistic interference tasks measuring executive functions (EFs) such as executive control (EC), attention, inhibition, problem solving). Recent research has shown that bilinguals tend to show a more robust advantage in overall reaction times (RTs), rather than an advantage on the magnitude of the interference effect. Irrespective of nature, the so-called bilingual advantage has been found in different age groups, but sometimes no bilingual advantage is actually found. This study investigates the consequences of bilingualism on inhibitory control, focusing on two variables that may compete with the bilingual advantage: “profession” and “level of education”. Two groups of highly-educated middle-aged professionals, businesspeople and teachers/professors, divided into bi/monolinguals, were tested in a nonverbal cognitive task, the Simon task, in order to replicate previous studies which have found a bilingual advantage in the interference effect for the same age group. Although bilinguals outperformed their monolingual counterparts, no signifi cant statistical differences were found in the interference effect, and both language groups were faster in the incongruent trials than in the congruent ones, resulting in null interference effects and thus countering the initial idea that participants always take longer to respond to incongruent trials. Results suggest that certain professional activities, as well as higher levels of education might act as confounds with the bilingual advantage.Keywords: bilingualism, executive functions, inhibitory control.Estudos recentes apresentaram resultados controversos quanto à vantagem bilíngue (i.e., tendência de bilíngues de superar monolíngues em tarefas de interferência não-linguística que medem funções executivas (FEs) como controle executivo (CE), atenção, inibição, resolução de problemas). Pesquisas recentes mostraram que bilíngues tendem a apresentar vantagem mais robusta em tempos de reação (TRs) globais do que na magnitude do efeito de interferência. Independentemente de sua natureza, a chamada vantagem bilíngue já foi achada em diferentes grupos etários, mas às vezes nenhuma vantagem bilíngue é encontrada. Este estudo investiga as consequências do bilinguismo no controle inibitório, focando em duas variáveis que podem competir com a vantagem bilíngue: “profissão” e “escolaridade”. Dois grupos de adultos de meia-idade com alta escolaridade, executivos e professores, divididos em bi/monolíngues, foram testados em uma tarefa cognitiva não-verbal, a tarefa de Simon, a fi m de replicar estudos prévios que encontraram uma vantagem bilíngue quanto ao efeito de interferência no mesmo grupo etário. Embora os bilíngues tenham superado seus pares monolíngues, nenhuma diferença significativa foi encontrada no efeito de interferência, e ambos os grupos linguísticos foram mais rápidos nos ensaios incongruentes do que nos congruentes, resultando em efeitos de interferência nulos, contrariando a ideia inicial de que os participantes sempre demoram mais para responder aos ensaios incongruentes. Os resultados sugerem que certas atividades profissionais, bem como altos níveis de escolaridade, podem interferir com a vantagem bilíngue.Palavras-chave: bilinguismo, funções executivas, controle inibitório