Can bilinguals rate their proficiency accurately in a language background questionnaire?

Scholl, Ana Paula; Fontes, Ana Beatriz Arêas da Luz; Finger, Ingrid

doi:10.18309/ranpoll.v52i1.1506

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Self-assessments constitute a reliable indicator of L2 proficiency (e.g. Li et al, 2006; Luk and Bialystok, 2013; Marian et al, 2007; Scholl et al, 2021). A recent study by Scholl et al (2021), for example, reports a significant positive correlation between the outcome of a self-assessment similar to the one conducted in the present study and participants’ TOEFL ITP scores, and self-assessment scores predicted the latter in a linear regression analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity effects in pseudoclefts in L1 and L2 speakers of German

Drummer

Felser

2023

Second Language Research

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This study investigates the hypothesis that non-isomorphic syntax–semantics mappings pose a greater challenge for non-native (L2) than for native (L1) speakers, focusing on a previously understudied phenomenon. We carried out an antecedent judgment task with L1 German and L1 Russian-speaking, proficient L2 learners of German to examine Condition C connectivity effects in German pseudoclefts. Binding Condition C constrains the interpretation of cataphoric pronouns such that they cannot be interpreted as coreferential with a referential expression within their scope. In specificational pseudoclefts such as What she liked was Jane’s office, Condition C effects can be observed in the absence of the required structural configuration, indicating that these effects result from the computation of a non-isomorphic semantic representation. For superficially similar – but semantically different – predicational pseudoclefts, no connectivity effects are expected. While the L1 speakers’ judgements showed the expected selective Condition C effect, the L2 speakers showed an across-the-board effect, with their antecedent judgements based on surface-level cues to cataphoric pronoun resolution and not affected by the semantic differences between the two types of pseudocleft. These findings support the claim that establishing syntax–semantics mappings is more difficult in a non-native than in a native language if there is no one-to-one correspondence between form and interpretation.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity effects in pseudoclefts in L1 and L2 speakers of German

Drummer

Felser

2023

Second Language Research

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“…Considering that bilingualism configures a spectrum of experiences (DeLuca et al, 2019;Leivada et al, 2021) that should be taken into account in research with bilinguals (Scholl et al, 2021), participants answered a Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (QuExPLi) in Brazilian Portuguese (Scholl & Finger, 2013). The adapted questionnaire consists of participants' personal information; their English language background; contributing factors to learning English; and self-rated proficiency.…”

Section: Instruments and Procedures For Data Collection Language Expe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It consisted of four Likert-scale questions asking participants to self-access from 1 to 6 their own English reading, listening, speaking, and writing proficiency. The validity of the QuExPli has been recently explored (Scholl et al, 2017(Scholl et al, , 2021.…”

Section: Instruments and Procedures For Data Collection Language Expe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite extensive research attempting to support the hypothesis that bilingualism bolsters executive functions (see Paap, 2019 for a review), the debate is full of controversies (Morton & Harper, 2007;Paap, 2019;Poarch & Krott, 2019), which might be attributed to the complexity of bilingualism as a construct (Backer & Bortfeld, 2021;DeLuca et al, 2019;Paap, 2019). To be more specific, DeLuca et al (2019) explain that "bilingualism has been routinely operationalized as a categorical variable (bilingual/monolingual), whereas it is a complex and dynamic experience with a number of potentially deterministic factors" (p. 1), and consequently, should be taken into account by researchers (Scholl et al, 2021). Aspects related to the language background of bilinguals influence the categorization of bilingual participants (Scholl et al, 2017(Scholl et al, , 2021.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To be more specific, DeLuca et al (2019) explain that "bilingualism has been routinely operationalized as a categorical variable (bilingual/monolingual), whereas it is a complex and dynamic experience with a number of potentially deterministic factors" (p. 1), and consequently, should be taken into account by researchers (Scholl et al, 2021). Aspects related to the language background of bilinguals influence the categorization of bilingual participants (Scholl et al, 2017(Scholl et al, , 2021. Thus, bilinguals' language background and self-rated proficiency were considered here in order to explore any relationship between multitasking during reading in adult proficient bilinguals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Does Working Memory Capacity Predict Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Bilinguals’ Digital Reading in a Multitasking Setting?

Azevedo

Oliveira

Finger

et al. 2022

Language Teaching Research Quarterly

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The ubiquity of multitasking has led researchers to investigate its potential costs for reading and learning (Clinton‐Lisell, 2021). While some studies have not shown detrimental effects of multitasking for reading comprehension (Bowman et al., 2010; Cho et al., 2015; Pashler et al., 2013), one particular study has found a benefit of multitasking (Tran et al., 2013). These results, nevertheless, do not converge with the findings of recent meta-analyses, which have suggested both a negative effect of multitasking for reading comprehension (Clinton‐Lisell, 2021), as well as the disruptive effects of listening to lyrical music while reading for comprehension (Vasilev et al., 2018). Previous research seems to converge with the theories of how working memory copes with the complexity of reading as a process, since several subprocesses must be orchestrated so that the ultimate goal of reading – the construction of a mental representation – is fully achieved (Tomitch, 2020). In addition to that, no previous study has investigated reading as a multilevel construct in which both literal and inferential comprehension (Alptekin & Erçetin, 2010; Kintsch, 1998) is assessed in a multitasking setting. With that in mind, we investigated whether working memory capacity, measured by the Self-Administrable Reading Span Test (Oliveira et al., 2021), predicts proficient bilinguals’ performance in literal and inferential comprehension, by means of comprehension questions (Pearson & Johnson, 1978) and reading times, under a multitasking setting in two conditions – listening to lyrical music (experimental) as opposed to listening to non-lyrical music (control). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that working memory capacity significantly predicted inferential, but not literal comprehension nor reading times, and only when participants were listening to lyrical music. Results are discussed both in terms of the effects of multitasking on reading comprehension as well as the role of working memory in language comprehension.

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Attention to multilingual job ads: an eye-tracking study on the use of English in German job ads

Nederstigt

Hilberink-Schulpen

2023

Folia Linguistica

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In many non-English-speaking countries, English loanwords in job ads seem to be very common. The question is whether this linguistic choice is advantageous, especially when the job advertised does not involve working in an international environment. Previous research of English loanwords in job ads has revealed that their effect in terms of the evaluation of the company, the job and the ad is limited if effects can be shown at all. Suggestions that English loanwords draw readers’ attention because this language choice deviates from what readers expect and, in addition, take more processing time (because they are foreign) lack empirical evidence. The eye-tracking and behavioural data of our experiment did not provide any empirical evidence for the attention-drawing function of English loanwords nor an influence on their effectiveness in job ads geared to graduate students in Germany. We suggest that loanwords need a certain amount of processing to be identified as foreign. This means they are different from other salient cues that were shown to draw readers’ attention because they are not subject to automatic processes. In addition, our participants were sufficiently proficient in English so that differences in processing time were not reflected in their eye-movement data.

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Can bilinguals rate their proficiency accurately in a language background questionnaire?

Cited by 3 publications

References 25 publications

Connectivity effects in pseudoclefts in L1 and L2 speakers of German

Connectivity effects in pseudoclefts in L1 and L2 speakers of German

Does Working Memory Capacity Predict Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Bilinguals’ Digital Reading in a Multitasking Setting?

Attention to multilingual job ads: an eye-tracking study on the use of English in German job ads

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