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Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive control, and eye movement measures of reading

A selective review and re-analysis of bilingual vs. multilingual reading data
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Abstract

This chapter selectively reviews the literature on bilingual language processing, with a special focus on the link to executive control, eye movements during reading, and differences between two different groups that are often lumped together: bilinguals (i.e., individuals who know two languages) and multilinguals (i.e., individuals who know more than two languages). To this end, we first discuss ideas about the cognitive demands associated with knowing more than a single language. We then review how eye movement reading research has clarified two important consequences of knowledge and use of more than one language: (1) cross-language activation and its relation to executive function and (2) weakened local (i.e., word-level) and global (i.e., text-level) aspects of reading performance. Finally, we review what is currently known about the bilingual vs. multilingual distinction, and present a re-analysis of previously published data (Whitford & Titone, 2016) exploring the effects of bilingual vs. multilingual status on natural reading in both younger and older adults. Although preliminary, these findings, along with the growing literature reviewed here from other domains, illustrate the importance of taking the bilingualism/multilingualism distinction into account when trying to understand the cognitive implications of knowing more than one language.

Abstract

This chapter selectively reviews the literature on bilingual language processing, with a special focus on the link to executive control, eye movements during reading, and differences between two different groups that are often lumped together: bilinguals (i.e., individuals who know two languages) and multilinguals (i.e., individuals who know more than two languages). To this end, we first discuss ideas about the cognitive demands associated with knowing more than a single language. We then review how eye movement reading research has clarified two important consequences of knowledge and use of more than one language: (1) cross-language activation and its relation to executive function and (2) weakened local (i.e., word-level) and global (i.e., text-level) aspects of reading performance. Finally, we review what is currently known about the bilingual vs. multilingual distinction, and present a re-analysis of previously published data (Whitford & Titone, 2016) exploring the effects of bilingual vs. multilingual status on natural reading in both younger and older adults. Although preliminary, these findings, along with the growing literature reviewed here from other domains, illustrate the importance of taking the bilingualism/multilingualism distinction into account when trying to understand the cognitive implications of knowing more than one language.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments ix
  4. About the editor xi
  5. About the contributors xiii
  6. Part I: Introduction
  7. Cognitive and neurocognitive implications of language control and multilingualism 3
  8. Part II: Cognitive control and multilingualism
  9. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive control, and eye movement measures of reading 11
  10. Chapter 2. Listening with your cohort 47
  11. Chapter 3. The role of executive function in the perception of L2 speech sounds in young balanced and unbalanced dual language learners 71
  12. Chapter 4. Are cognate words “special”? 97
  13. Chapter 5. Action speaks louder than words, even in speaking 127
  14. Chapter 6. Influence of preparation time on language control 145
  15. Chapter 7. When L1 suffers 171
  16. Chapter 8. Effects of cognitive control, lexical robustness, and frequency of codeswitching on language switching 193
  17. Chapter 9. The locus of cross-language activation 217
  18. Chapter 10. Syntactic interference in bilingual naming during language switching 239
  19. Chapter 11. Multi-component perspective of cognitive control in bilingualism 271
  20. Part III: Consequences of multilingualism
  21. Chapter 12. The bilingual advantage in the auditory domain 299
  22. Chapter 13. Executive functions in bilingual children 323
  23. Chapter 14. Home language usage and executive function in bilingual preschoolers 351
  24. Chapter 15. Cognitive mechanisms underlying performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals 375
  25. Chapter 16. Time course differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in the Simon task* 397
  26. Chapter 17. Top down influence on executive control in bilinguals 427
  27. Index 451
Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism
This chapter is in the book Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.2.02tit

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments ix
  4. About the editor xi
  5. About the contributors xiii
  6. Part I: Introduction
  7. Cognitive and neurocognitive implications of language control and multilingualism 3
  8. Part II: Cognitive control and multilingualism
  9. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive control, and eye movement measures of reading 11
  10. Chapter 2. Listening with your cohort 47
  11. Chapter 3. The role of executive function in the perception of L2 speech sounds in young balanced and unbalanced dual language learners 71
  12. Chapter 4. Are cognate words “special”? 97
  13. Chapter 5. Action speaks louder than words, even in speaking 127
  14. Chapter 6. Influence of preparation time on language control 145
  15. Chapter 7. When L1 suffers 171
  16. Chapter 8. Effects of cognitive control, lexical robustness, and frequency of codeswitching on language switching 193
  17. Chapter 9. The locus of cross-language activation 217
  18. Chapter 10. Syntactic interference in bilingual naming during language switching 239
  19. Chapter 11. Multi-component perspective of cognitive control in bilingualism 271
  20. Part III: Consequences of multilingualism
  21. Chapter 12. The bilingual advantage in the auditory domain 299
  22. Chapter 13. Executive functions in bilingual children 323
  23. Chapter 14. Home language usage and executive function in bilingual preschoolers 351
  24. Chapter 15. Cognitive mechanisms underlying performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals 375
  25. Chapter 16. Time course differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in the Simon task* 397
  26. Chapter 17. Top down influence on executive control in bilinguals 427
  27. Index 451
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