Bilingualism across the lifespan - A cross linguistic and cross cultural approach

Thèse de Doctorat , 2006 , 201 Pages , Note: 1

Philologie Anglaise - Linguistique

The present thesis deals with the lives and languages of twenty-five adolescent
and adult bilinguals. All of them have acquired their languages
consecutively. Through an extensive research programme the subjects
are tested from a cross-linguistic and cross-cultural approach for the quality
of L1 - L2 proximity.
The main research question in the thesis is in what ways do L1 and L2 of
adolescent and adult bilinguals differ regarding the results of verbal
screening tests and selected aspects of written narrative competence?
How and to what extent can the findings be associated to the results of the
analysis of influencing socio-psychological factors?
It is assumed that biological constraints are not the single crucial factors
for high levels of attainment but rather socio-psychological variables such
as culture, identity, perception and attitudes.
The verbal screening tests, namely the PPVT-III (Peabody Picture Vocabulary
Test - III) and EVT (Expressive Vocabulary Test), used to determine
a person’s passive and active vocabulary knowledge of a language
will show that the results of L1 and L2 will not differ significantly of each
other in individuals showing positive affective variables in their bilingualism.
The level of language proficiency and the quality of L1 - L2 proximity is
further investigated through a detailed analysis of written narratives composed
in ScriptLog, a research programme for the online process of writing.
This involves the analysis of five major linguistic variables: productivity,
lexical diversity, the construction of complex motion events, and the
use of evaluative devices. The last two variables give information on the
amount of granularity and the condensation of information and can be
classified between textual structure and the lexicon. Additionally, the time
data of the written narratives recorded by ScriptLog will be evaluated and
discussed.
The question is whether qualitative and quantitative differences between
the five variables of investigation mentioned above are in line with sociopsychological variables, possibly influencing the development of late L2
learners.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• PREFACE
• INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF THE THESIS
  • CENTRAL QUESTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
  • OUTLINE OF THE THESIS
  • DEFINING BILINGUALISM
• LITERATURE REVIEW
  • AIM OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
    • BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN SLA
    • MATURATIONAL CONSTRAINTS
    • EMPIRICAL STUDIES
      • Natural and Experimental Acquisition Rate Studies
      • Age of Acquisition and Ultimate Outcomes in SLA
        • Long-Term AO Effects
      • Nativelike Levels of L2 Proficiency
      • Theories about the Nature of the Critical Period
      • Biological Aspects
      • Socio-Psychological Aspects
  • RESUME OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
  • REASSESSING LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - A DYNAMIC APPROACH
• GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME
  • AIM
  • RESEARCH METHODS
    • PARTICIPANTS
    • INSTRUMENTS
      • The Background Questionnaire
      • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III
      • Expressive Vocabulary Test
      • ScriptLog – A Tool for Analyzing Online Writing
        • The Frog Story
    • PROCEDURE
    • INSTRUMENTS OF ANALYSES
      • TALC Total Analysis of Language and Culture
• GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMINEES
  • AIM
  • ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF GENERAL DATA
    • AGE AND SEX
    • EDUCATION AND OCCUPATIONAL STATUS
    • COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND RESIDENCE
    • VARIETY OF LANGUAGES
    • LANGUAGE GROUPS AND AGE OF ACQUISITION
    • WAY OF ACQUISITION L1/L2
• ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF VERBAL SCREENING TESTS
  • INTRODUCTION AND AIM
  • VERBAL SCREENING TESTS
    • THE PEABODY PICTURE VOCABULARY TEST III
      • Variation Analysis
      • Correlation Analysis
      • Comparative Analysis of L1 and L2
    • THE EXPRESSIVE VOCABULARY TEST
      • Variation Analysis
      • Correlation Analysis
      • Comparative Analysis of L1 and L2
    • PPVT-III AND EVT IN COMPARISON
      • Variation Analysis
      • Correlation Analysis

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This doctoral dissertation investigates the effects of age of acquisition (AOA) on the development and maintenance of late bilingualism. The study focuses on the language competence of a group of late bilingual individuals, examining their proficiency in their first (L1) and second (L2) languages. The key themes explored include:

• The impact of AOA on language proficiency in late bilinguals
• The role of biological and psychological factors in second language acquisition (SLA)
• The concept of the critical period hypothesis and its implications for late bilingualism
• A comprehensive analysis of language proficiency through the use of verbal screening tests and a dynamic approach to language acquisition

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Preface: This section briefly introduces the thesis and acknowledges the individuals who contributed to the research.
• Introduction and Aim of the Thesis: This chapter outlines the central questions and assumptions guiding the study, providing a clear definition of bilingualism and offering an overview of the thesis structure.
• Literature Review: This section critically reviews existing research on second language acquisition (SLA) and the critical period hypothesis. It examines the biological and psychological factors influencing SLA, explores various empirical studies on AOA and ultimate outcomes, and discusses diverse theoretical perspectives on the nature of the critical period.
• General Description of the Research Programme: This chapter details the research methods, participants, and instruments used in the study. It outlines the procedure employed and introduces the TALC (Total Analysis of Language and Culture) database utilized for analyzing data.
• General Description of the Examinees: This chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of the general data collected from the participants, including their age, sex, education, occupational status, country of origin and residence, language variety, language groups, and AOA.
• Analysis and Discussion of Verbal Screening Tests: This chapter delves into the analysis of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test III and the Expressive Vocabulary Test. It examines variations, correlations, and comparative analyses between L1 and L2 scores.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The study focuses on the impact of age of acquisition on late bilingualism, exploring themes of second language acquisition, the critical period hypothesis, language proficiency, and verbal screening tests. This research utilizes a dynamic approach to language acquisition and involves a comprehensive analysis of the data through the use of the TALC database. Key concepts include late bilinguals, first language (L1), second language (L2), biological and psychological factors, empirical studies, and the critical period.

• Université: University of Graz (Institut für Anglistik / Amerikanistik)
• Note: 1
• Auteur: Dr. phil. Daniela Reichholf-Wilscher (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2006
• Pages: 201
• N° de catalogue: V118305
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640209453
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640209903
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Bilingualism