Multilinguals' language choice for mental calculation
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He is interested in the interplay between multilingualism and emotions in a variety of contexts. He is member of the editorial boards of
Estudios de Sociolinguistica, Intercultural Pragmatics , andInternational Journal of Multilingualism and is principal editor ofAILA Review . He is a member of the Executive Committees of EUROSLA, and the International Association of Multilingualism and AILA, where he is Scientific Commissions Coordinator.
Abstract
The present study investigates self-reported language choice for mental calculations among 1,454 adult multilinguals from a variety of linguistic, social and ethnic backgrounds. As mental calculation is a complex cognitive operation involving both language-dependent and language independent processes, we sought to establish a baseline of first language (L1) or foreign language(s) (LX) use for mental calculation and identify the factors that influence multilinguals' choice of language for mental calculation. A series of multiple regression analyses on calculation in the L1, L2, L3 and L4 showed that the following variables (in decreasing order) are the best predictors of language choice: frequency of general use, self-perceived proficiency in writing, socialization in the LX, context of acquisition, communicative and/or foreign language anxiety, perceived usefulness, and age of onset of acquisition. These variables explained over 40 percent of the variance in the foreign languages.
About the author
He is interested in the interplay between multilingualism and emotions in a variety of contexts. He is member of the editorial boards of Estudios de Sociolinguistica, Intercultural Pragmatics, and International Journal of Multilingualism and is principal editor of AILA Review. He is a member of the Executive Committees of EUROSLA, and the International Association of Multilingualism and AILA, where he is Scientific Commissions Coordinator.
© Walter de Gruyter
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- The pragmatics of advice giving: Cross-cultural perspectives
- Multilinguals' language choice for mental calculation
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Articles in the same Issue
- The pragmatics of advice giving: Cross-cultural perspectives
- Multilinguals' language choice for mental calculation
- Insisting: a goal-oriented or a chatting interactional practice? One aspect of Syrian service encounters
- Theory and empirical findings: A response to Jackendoff
- Conceptual semantics and natural semantic metalanguage theory have different goals
- Book reviews
- Contributors to this issue
