Universität zu Köln

Kaufmann, Emily (2014). Costs and advantages in bimodal bilingual language production: Language-switching and dual-task paradigms. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

Previous studies of unimodal (spoken–spoken) language switching have often found longer reaction times and higher error rates in switch trials than in repeat trials, particularly for unbalanced bilinguals. Studies of hearing signers (bimodal bilinguals) have found that they often produce ‘code-blends’ rather than sequential code-switches; such simultaneous production is generally not possible in unimodal utterances. The present study explored sequential language switching and simultaneous language production (dual-task) in bimodal bilinguals. The Methodological Experiment adapted the language-switching paradigm, used previously to test unimodal language switching, to bimodal data and required significant methodological development. The Methodological Experiment and Experiment 1 examined modality effects in language switching with two Modalities: unimodal (German–English) and bimodal (German–DGS). Reaction times were shorter, error rates lower and switch costs smaller in bimodal switching blocks than in unimodal blocks, indicating a bimodal language switching advantage. Experiment 2 examined simultaneous bimodal language production, comparing dual-task and single-task trials in order to determine whether there are dual-task advantages. Previous studies found dual-task costs, or in some cases, no dual-task cost and no advantage, for responses across modalities in non-language tasks. However, our results show that in a bimodal bilingual switching condition, there can be a dual-task advantage, especially when switching into a dual-task trial (code-blend). We suggest that language is different from other task components in task-switching and dual-task studies and that a code-blend forms a unit which is greater than the sum of its parts.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Kaufmann, Emily emily.kaufmann@uni-koeln.de UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-56052
Date:	2014
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Human Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Heilpädagogik und Rehabilitation
Subjects:	Psychology Language, Linguistics Other languages
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Bilingualism, Sign language, Language modality, Language switching, Dual-task paradigm English
Date of oral exam:	9 April 2014
Referee:	Name Academic Title Kaul, Thomas Prof. Dr. Rietz, Christian Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/5605