Event Details

HL2C-SLLAT Seminar: Angela de Bruin (York) Title: To switch or not to switch? The impact of the interactional context on bilingual language switching

Presenter(s): Angela de Bruin (York)

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 12pm to 1pm

How to join: The seminars are free to attend. Simply sign up to the HL2C Mailing List or to the SLLAT mailing list to receive the link to join us via Microsoft Teams link. You do not need a Teams account to access the talk.

About: This is a joint event, co-organized by the Heritage Language 2 Consortium (HL2C) and the Second Language Learning and Teaching (SLLAT) Research Group.

Abstract:

Many bilinguals switch between their languages, but the frequency and type of switching can depend on the interactional context. The context can furthermore influence the language-control mechanisms bilinguals use during language switching. In this talk, I will first discuss the impact of the current language context on language switching and control, referring to studies working with different bilinguals (e.g., Basque-Spanish, Mandarin-English, and Bulgarian-English). I will discuss how language control varies depending on the type of switching task (comparing cued and voluntary switching) as well as the role of the conversation partner’s language behaviour. This will be followed by a discussion of recent longitudinal research examining potential changes in language control after bilinguals move to a new language environment.