Metalinguistic abilities in Italian-English adult bilinguals . A comparison with Italian-speaking and English-speaking monolinguals.

Abstract

This empirical research studies long-term effects of different types of early biligualism on metalinguistic abilities at young adult age. A sample of 40 university students has been recruited and subdivided into a bilingual Italian-English group and a monolingual group, itself subdivided into Italian monolinguals, tested in Italy, and English monolinguals, tested in UK. Students received a metalinguistic ability test specific for adults (TAM-3, Pinto, Iliceto, 2007), existing also in English version. Bilinguals, as a whole, significantly ourperformed monolinguals, and monolinguals of either type performed at very similar level, irrespective of the linguistic version of the test