Andrea A. N. MacLeod

Are bilinguals different? What VOT tells us about simultaneous bilinguals

The evidence for native-like phonological competence in the two languages spoken by simultaneous bilinguals is investigated by measuring their Voice Onset Time (VOT) of stop consonants in Canadian English (CE) and Canadian French (CF). Past research has suggested a correspondence between age of exposure to the second language and native-like production of VOT. This study addresses two questions: (1) do these simultaneous bilinguals maintain monolingual-like phonological contrasts of the stop consonants? and (2) do these speakers produce monolingual-like variation in the VOT values? Three groups of speakers are compared to investigate these questions: simultaneous bilinguals, monolingual CE, and monolingual CF. The bilingual participants produced monolingual-like phonemic contrasts and phonetic variation for all but the English voiced stops. It is proposed that bilinguals strive to maintain acceptable language-specific distinctions while simultaneously reducing the processing load by producing overlap in some contrasts.

Production of high vowels in Canadian English and Canadian French: A comparison of early bilingual and monolingual speakers

Abstract The goal of this study is to investigate how monolingual and early bilingual speakers of Canadian English and Canadian French produce high vowels. The vowels of the bilingual participants were assessed in their two languages, thus permitting the exploration of interactions between the two languages. Findings indicated that the bilinguals formed separate categories across the two languages for similar vowels, and produced monolingual-like values for these vowels. When speaking English, they produced lax vowels that were low and less dispersed (for F2); these vowels were similar to the vowels of the English-speaking monolinguals. When speaking French the bilinguals produced lax vowels that were somewhat higher and more peripheral, like the French monolinguals. The results of the present study differ from investigations of late bilinguals, whose vowel productions exhibited influences of the phonemic categories of their first language. This work contributes to a small but growing body of research of the acoustic-phonetic differences between Canadian English and Canadian French and to the understanding of acoustic-phonetic abilities of early bilingual speakers.

The use of voice onset time by early bilinguals to distinguish homorganic stops in Canadian English and Canadian French

The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which bilingual speakers maintain language-specific phonological contrasts for homorganic stops when a cue is shared across both languages. To this end, voice onset time (VOT) was investigated in three groups of participants: early bilinguals speakers of Canadian French and Canadian English (n = 8), monolingual speakers of Canadian English (n = 8), and monolingual speakers of Canadian French (n = 7). Three questions were targeted: What are the general patterns of VOT production in bilingual and monolinguals? Do bilingual speakers produce different mean VOT than monolinguals? Do bilingual speakers produce different variability in VOT than monolinguals? Acoustic measurements of VOT were made from monosyllabic English and French words with word-initial bilabial or coronal stop consonants. The results indicate that the early bilingual speakers maintain monolingual-like phonemic contrasts, but that they exhibit more variation within categories than monolingual speakers.

Simultaneous bilingual language acquisition: The role of parental input on receptive vocabulary development

Parents often turn to educators and healthcare professionals for advice on how to best support their child’s language development. These professionals frequently suggest implementing the ‘one-parent–one-language’ approach to ensure consistent exposure to both languages. The goal of this study was to understand how language exposure influences the receptive vocabulary development of simultaneous bilingual children. To this end, we targeted nine German–French children growing up in bilingual families. Their exposure to each language within and outside the home was measured, as were their receptive vocabulary abilities in German and French. The results indicate that children are receiving imbalanced exposure to each language. This imbalance is leading to a slowed development of the receptive vocabulary in the minority language, while the majority language is keeping pace with monolingual peers. The one-parent–one-language approach does not appear to support the development of both of the child’s languages in the context described in the present study. Bilingual families may need to consider other options for supporting the bilingual language development of their children. As professionals, we need to provide parents with advice that is based on available data and that is flexible with regards to the current and future needs of the child and his family.

The acquisition of consonants in Québécois French: A cross-sectional study of pre-school aged children

This study provides a systematic description of French consonant acquisition in a large cohort of pre-school aged children: 156 children aged 20–53 months participated in a picture-naming task. Five analyses were conducted to study consonant acquisition: (1) consonant inventory, (2) consonant accuracy, (3) consonant acquisition, (4) a comparison of consonant inventory to consonant acquisition, and (5) a comparison to English cross-sectional data. Results revealed that more consonants emerge at an earlier age in word initial position, followed by medial position, and then word final position. Consonant accuracy underwent the greatest changes before the age of 36 months, and achieved a relative plateau towards 42 months. The acquisition of consonants revealed that four early consonants were acquired before the age of 36 months (i.e., /t, m, n, z/); 12 intermediate consonants were acquired between 36 and 53 months (i.e., /p, b, d, k, , ν, f, v, , l, w, ч/); and four consonants were acquired after 53 months (/s, з, ∫, j/). In comparison to English data, language specific patterns emerged that influence the order and pace of phonological acquisition. These findings highlight the important role of language specific developmental data in understanding the course of consonant acquisition.

What is the impact of age of second language acquisition on the production of consonants and vowels among childhood bilinguals

This study investigated bilinguals’ ability to produce language-specific acoustic values for consonants and vowels that are highly similar across the two languages. To investigate this ability, we targeted early bilinguals who had acquired two languages before the age of 12 and continued to use both languages on a daily basis. These adult bilinguals were separated into two groups: simultaneous bilinguals (or nearly so) who acquired both languages by their third year, and sequential bilinguals who acquired their second language between the ages of 8 and 12 years. Their speech production was studied through an acoustic analysis of stop consonants (voice onset time) and vowels (formant structure). Despite the differences in age of acquisition, these bilinguals used both languages on a regular basis at work and at home and were very proficient in both languages. In contrast to other early bilinguals who undergo a change in language dominance from their first language to their second, the participants in this study maintained relatively balanced abilities in both languages. This study revealed that childhood bilinguals can maintain contrasts across their two languages, even for very similar phonemes.

The impact of bilingual language learning on whole-word complexity and segmental accuracy among children aged 18 and 36 months.

This study investigates the phonological acquisition of 19 monolingual English children and 21 English–French bilingual children at 18 and 36 months. It contributes to the understanding of age-related changes to phonological complexity and to differences due to bilingual language development. In addition, preliminary normative data is presented for English children and English–French bilingual children. Five measures were targeted to represent a range of indices of phonological development: the phonological mean length of utterance (pMLU) of the adult target, the pMLU produced by the child, the proportion of whole-word proximity (PWP), proportion of consonants correct (PCC), and proportion of whole words correct (PWC). The measures of childrens productions showed improvements from 18 to 36 months; however, the rate of change varied across the measures, with PWP improving faster, then PCC, and finally PWC. The results indicated that bilingual children can keep pace with their monolingual peers at both 18 months and 36 months of age, at least in their dominant language. Based on these findings, discrepancies with monolingual phonological development that one might observe in a bilingual childs non-dominant language could be explained by reduced exposure to the language rather than a general slower acquisition of phonology.

A multi-dimensional approach to gradient change in phonological acquisition: A case study of disordered speech development

The purpose of the current study is to document phonological change from a multidimensional perspective for a 3-year-old boy with phonological disorder by comparing three measures: (1) accuracy of consonant productions, (2) dynamic assessment, and (3) acoustic analysis. The methods included collecting a sample of the targets /s, ʃ, tʃ, and dʒ/ produced in single words and repeated over time. The samples were analysed using phonetic transcription and acoustic measures of duration, spectral mean, and spectral variance. A dynamic assessment was administered that showed change in response to cues and linguistic environments using a 15-point scale. The results from the three measures were compared for gradient change and evidence of covert contrasts. In conclusion, gradient change was illustrated across the three measures and contrasts were evident in the childs phonological system. Acoustic measures were most sensitive, followed by dynamic assessment; however, accuracy scores based on phonetic transcription showed little to no change for some targets.

Access to opportunities for bilingualism for individuals with developmental disabilities: Key informant interviews

The purpose of this article is to describe the results of a thematic analysis of 79 semi-structured interviews collected at six research sites in four countries in relation to the inclusion and exclusion of students with developmental disabilities (DD) in and from special education and bilingual opportunities. The participants were individuals with expertise either in special needs and/or language education to support bilingualism (e.g., second language (L2) instruction), who served as key informants about service delivery and/or policy in these areas. Six themes emerged as salient during the analysis: we include all kids, special needs drives it, time/scheduling conflicts, IEP/IPP/statement drives it, its up to the parents, and service availability. The results suggested that access to language programs and services is limited for children with DD, even though participants at all sites reported adherence to a philosophy of inclusion. A priority on special education services over language services was identified, as well as barriers to providing children with DD access to programs and services to support bilingual development. Some of these barriers included time and scheduling conflicts and limited service availability. Additionally, the role of parents in decision making was affirmed, although, in contrast to special education services, decision-making about participation or exemption from language programs was typically left up to the parents. Overall, the results suggest a need for greater attention to providing supports for both first (L1) and L2 language development for bilingual children with DD and greater access to available language programs.

Professional practices and opinions about services available to bilingual children with developmental disabilities: An international study

This study aimed to gather information from school- and clinic-based professionals about their practices and opinions pertaining to the provision of bilingual supports to students with developmental disabilities. Using an online survey, data were collected in six socio-culturally and linguistically diverse locations across four countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. In total, 361 surveys were included in the analysis from respondents who were primarily teachers and speech-language pathologists working in schools, daycares/preschools, or community-based clinics. The overall picture that emerged from the data reflected a disconnection between practice and opinion. In general, respondents believed that children with both mild and severe disabilities are capable of learning a second language, although their opinions were more neutral for the latter group. However, children with both mild and severe disabilities who spoke only a minority language at home had less access to services for second language learners than did their typically developing peers, although respondents agreed that such services should be more available. Regardless of clinical group, children who lived in homes where a minority language was spoken were often exposed to, assessed in, and treated in the majority language only; again, respondents generally disagreed with these practices. Finally, second language classes were less available to children in the two disability groups compared to typically developing bilingual children, with general agreement that the opportunity to acquire a second language should be more available, especially to those with mild disabilities. Although the results indicate that there is a considerable gap between current practices and professional opinions, professionals appear to be more supportive of bilingual educational opportunities for these populations than was suggested by previous research.