Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract The present study investigated cross-linguistic structural priming effects from L1 to L2 during the comprehension of the passive voice in a group of 35 Brazilian Portuguese-English (BP-EN) late bilinguals. A 4 x 2 experimental design was implemented that included a four levels within-subjects Condition variable and a between-subjects Proficiency variable (Intermediate vs. Advanced). Results show that, regardless of proficiency, participants read target sentences faster in both experimental conditions when compared to the control conditions. Noticeably, cross-linguistic structural priming effects were observed even in the absence of translation equivalents. That is, both abstract and lexically mediated structural cross-linguistic effects were observed. These findings indicate that late bilinguals at intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency have a shared syntactic system between their L1 and L2.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract This study investigated if bilingual language coactivation would be observed in the context of the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm. Portuguese-English bilinguals listened to 12 lists of semantically associated words that related to either a cognate or a noncognate critical lure. Participants were instructed to recall as many words as they could and to type them on the computer keyboard. Then, they performed a recognition test with words from the study phase of the recall test, as well as critical lures and unstudied words. Statistical analyses showed a small but statistically significant difference in the recall of studied words between conditions. No differences were observed in the recognition. We suggest that participants relied more on verbatim than gist trace, which may have reduced language coactivation effects.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract In two experiments, a language decision task, and a multiple-choice English-Portuguese translation task, we examined the effect of interlingual homographs and word frequency on lexical access of Brazilian-Portuguese - English bilinguals. Language choice, accuracy, and response times were registered by the PsyToolkit software, and linear mixed-effects models were used in the analysis of the data. The results of this study align with the non-selective lexical access hypothesis. Bilinguals had facilitated access, particularly for words in the L2. There was also an interference effect of word frequency observed in both the L1 and L2 for interlingual homographs.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract This study examined the effects of bilingual education and simultaneous biliteracy on children’s levels of speech connectedness and reading in Portuguese and English. Thirty-two 5th graders completed oral production tasks and took reading fluency and comprehension tests in L1 and L2. Our results show that, in general, children show connectedness and reading scores which are correlated in the two languages, that is, the languages follow different, but related paths in the time point they were assessed. We conclude that simultaneous biliteracy, in the case of the participants of this research, is not detrimental to the outcomes of either language. On the contrary, it promotes the concomitant use of languages, which, in turn, seems to guarantee support for both languages, L1 and L2, in a bidirectional fashion.

Resumo em Português:

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é investigar como ocorre o processamento anafórico por brasileiros falantes de inglês como L2, buscando descobrir se estes sujeitos se guiam pela sintaxe desde o momento inicial do processamento, ou se fazem uso de informações de outras naturezas, especialmente semântico-lexicais, para identificar o possível antecedente das anáforas. Para isto, realizamos um experimento de leitura automonitorada, que mostrou diferenças entre os sujeitos de nível de proficiência intermediário e os avançados. No primeiro grupo, houve uma facilitação da leitura quando os traços de gênero de ambos os antecedentes combinavam com o traço de gênero da anáfora. Já para os avançados, os resultados indicaram que este grupo tem a leitura facilitada quando ao menos um dos antecedentes combina com o traço de gênero da anáfora. Tais resultados são consistentes com modelos de processamento em L2 que defendem um acesso incompleto à sintaxe, dando prioridade à utilização de informações de natureza semântico-lexical e pragmática para a resolução anafórica (CLAHSEN & FELSER, 2006, 2017). Além disso, apesar de não se encaixar perfeitamente em nenhum modelo de interferência na memória de trabalho baseado em semelhanças, os resultados são indicativos de propostas que tratam sobre interferência na recuperação da memória de trabalho.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract The purpose of this article is to investigate how Brazilian speakers of English as L2 process anaphors in English, seeking to find out if these subjects are guided by syntax from the initial processing moment, or if they make use of information of other sources, especially semantic-lexical, to identify the possible antecedent of the anaphor. For this, we conducted a self-paced reading experiment, which showed differences between intermediate and advanced proficiency level subjects. In the first group, there was a facilitation of reading when the gender cues of both antecedents matched the gender cue of the anaphora. For the advanced group, the results indicated that the processing is facilitated when at least one of the antecedents matches the gender cue of the anaphor. These results are consistent with L2 processing models that advocate incomplete access to syntax, prioritizing the use of semantic-lexical and pragmatic information for anaphoric resolution (CLAHSEN & FELSER, 2006, 2017). In addition, although it does not fit perfectly into any similarity-based interference model, the results are indicative of proposals that address retrieval interference in working memory.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract This article investigates the processing of English caused-motion constructions by Brazilian EFL learners. Drawing on corpus data on the production of such constructions by Brazilian learners, this study experimentally tests the four following constructional domains of caused motions discussed in Rosa (2020): (1) literal caused motions with instantiating verbs (e.g., put the toys into the box); (2) figurative caused motions with instantiating verbs (e.g., get yourself in trouble); (3) literal caused motions with modifying verbs (e.g., they laughed him out of the office); and (4) figurative caused motions with modifying verbs (e.g., she talked me into stupor). An acceptability judgment task with 120 EFL Brazilian learners at two levels of proficiency (B2 and C1) was devised so as to investigate the development of caused motions by testing two aspects and their effect on the comprehension of the structure: (1) level of proficiency, and (2) the degree of linguistic complexity of the structures in question. The results of the experimental study showed that learners’ proficiency level does affect their comprehension of the structures. However, the linguistic complexity of the structures seems to play an even greater role in that learners exhibit a descending level of comprehension of caused motions that is proportional with the ascending level of semantic and syntactic complexity of the structures.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract Full Time Equivalent (FTE), a product of Length of Residence (LOR) in L2 contexts multiplied by an index of frequency of L2 use, has been considered to be an important factor in bilingual speech development (Flege & Bohn, 2021). This work, therefore, seeks to analyze changes in the Voice Onset Time (VOT) of Brazilian Portuguese-L1 (short lag) in contexts of English-L2 (long lag) as a function of LOR and FTE (N=44) through Bayesian linear regression models with mixed effects. As a result, the models showed a positive effect of time on VOT values, with VOT values increasing over LOR. However, the models that used FTE yielded greater effects with greater credibility. We conclude that LOR underestimates the effect of time, making FTE a more accurate metric since it incorporates both ‘time’ and ‘language use’.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract Input-related factors are fundamental for the acquisition of new second language (L2) phones (e.g., Flege et al., 1995). Nonetheless, evidence from instructional settings suggests that, in foreign language contexts, input alone may not be sufficient for the formation of new phonetic categories. In the present study, we investigated to what extent the acquisition of a novel L2 phone (/ð/) is associated with input-related variables and phonological awareness. First language (L1) Brazilian Portuguese speakers of English answered a language background, a phonological self-awareness questionnaire, and completed a paragraph reading task and a phonological awareness test. The recordings were submitted to acoustic analysis and accuracy assessment by Brazilian teachers of English. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that perceived accuracy was predicted by input quality and phonological self-awareness, suggesting that greater interaction with L1 speakers of the target language and heightened phonological self-awareness play an important role in the acquisition of the tested L2 phone.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract This work aims to discuss the development of L2 English rhythm by Brazilian learners (L2ers) through rhythmic metrics and acoustic parameters. Five L2ers were recorded reading a text in English at the beginning of their college studies in English Language and Literature, and again, four semesters later, after having taken two English phonology courses. They were also recorded reading a Portuguese version of the same text. As for the control group, five native speakers of a North American variety of English were recorded reading the text in English. Data were manually segmented in PRAAT, and the indexes were automatically extracted. As for English-L2, different developmental paths were captured as function of the rhythm dimension, with L1 influencing more L2ers’ rhythm in the f0 and intensity dimensions. Crucially, L2 rhythm patterns converged to the target language in all dimensions, suggesting positive effects of explicit pronunciation teaching.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract Dyslexics are often discouraged from L2 learning; however, it can have beneficial effects. The dual route reading model (Ellis, 1995) proposes reading processing via two distinct routes: the lexical and phonological route. We investigated reading performance in young bilingual dyslexics (aged 8-11) in English and Brazilian Portuguese (BP), checking for transfer of the direct lexical reading strategy, more compatible with the opaque and irregular English orthography as well as dyslexia, thus benefiting reading in BP also. Indeed, dyslexics showed poorer performance on reading pseudowords, but less impairment for frequent words and better performance in English than in BP, with near similar scores compared to controls for sentence reading. This shows that high exposure to English in immersive and student-centered educational contexts may enhance reading even in young bilingual dyslexics.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract The objective of the present study was to investigate reading performance and brain activation associated with reading for bilingual and monolingual dyslexics (DDB-DDM), and typical bilinguals as Controls (C). The behavioral results showed that DDB outperformed DDM in all reading components in Portuguese. In the tasks applied in English, there was no significant difference in the performance of DDB compared to C. The results of the brain imaging for the task in Portuguese showed C presented significant activation of the left occipitotemporal and left inferior frontal gyrus while reading words. DDB and DDM, in turn, showed deactivation of left temporoparietal region and no significant activation in the left occipitotemporal region or left inferior frontal gyrus. For the FAST LOC task, DDB showed hypoactivity in the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA) during word reading, both in English and Portuguese. The findings provide evidence for a possible positive impact of bilingualism on the reading performance of dyslexics.

Resumo em Português:

Resumo A multiplicidade de experiências e contextos de aquisição de L2 desafiam os estudos de bilinguismo, visto que as diferenças individuais complexificam a comparabilidade entre estudos (Treffers-Daller; Korybsky, 2015). Nesse contexto, o construto dominância linguística torna-se uma variável importante para a compreensão desse fenômeno em diferentes domínios e o desenvolvimento de ferramentas eficazes para sua aferição um aspecto fundamental nesse processo (Gertken et al., 2014). Neste artigo, apresentamos os resultados da validação do Questionário de Levamento de Uso de Línguas para usuários de inglês como L2 imersos em contexto brasileiro em correlação com um marcador explícito de aprendizagem de inglês de mensuração de amplitude lexical. A concepção de dominância linguística, tal como definida por Heredia (1997), e o Princípio da Complementaridade (CP), de Grosjean (1998, 2016), foram usados para operacionalizar o construto em termos de frequência e de domínios específicos de uso, servindo de base para elaboração do questionário. A proficiência, por sua vez, foi mensurada a partir de um teste de amplitude lexical em inglês – Vocabulary Size Test (Nation; Beglar, 2007). A partir de dados de 784 participantes, foram calculadas as correlações de Pearson entre os 11 itens do questionário, referentes às práticas de uso de inglês e português, entre si, e deles com a nota obtida no Vocabulary Size Test. As análises estatísticas mostram correlação significativa entre os itens de prática de uso de língua inglesa e deles com a nota do VST, e evidenciam que os respondentes com maior envolvimento em atividades em inglês tendem a ter melhor resultado no teste de proficiência. Essas correlações são interpretadas como um aspecto chave de validade externa do construto operacionalizado pelo questionário, permitindo-nos apresentá-lo à comunidade científica como um instrumento eficaz para a detecção e aferição de alterações na dominância da L1 em favor do uso da L2 entre usuários do inglês como L2.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract The multiplicity of L2 acquisition experiences and contexts challenge the studies of bilingualism since individual differences complicate comparability between studies (Treffers-Daller; Korybsky, 2015). In this context, the construct of language dominance becomes an important variable for understanding this phenomenon in different domains and the development of effective tools for measuring it a key aspect in this process (Gertken et al., 2014). In this paper, we present the results of the validation of the Language Use Questionnaire for users of English as L2 immersed in a Brazilian context in correlation with an explicit marker of English language learning to measure lexical breadth. The concepts of linguistic dominance, as defined by Heredia (1997), and Grosjean's (1998, 2016) Complementary Principle, were used to operationalize the construct in terms of frequency and specific domains of use, serving as the basis for designing the questionnaire. Proficiency, in turn, was measured using a test of lexical breadth in English – Vocabulary Size Test (Nation; Beglar, 2007). Based on data from 784 participants, Pearson's correlations were calculated among the 11 items of the questionnaire, which referred to English and Portuguese use, and between them and the score obtained in the Vocabulary Size Test. The statistical analyses show a significant correlation among the items referring to English language use and between them and the VST score, presenting evidence that respondents with greater involvement in English activities tend to have better results in the proficiency test. Such correlation is interpreted as a key facet of external validity of the questionnaire, allowing us to bring it to the research community as an efficient measure for detection and assessment of changing dominance from L1 to L2 among users of English as a second language.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate 16 Initial Teletandem Oral Sessions (iTOS) within Teletandem Brasil Project to verify if the participants rely on language separation, one of the principles adopted by tandem learning. We focus on the lexical choices Brazilian students learning English as a Foreign Language, and US (non-Brazilian) citizens learning Portuguese as a Foreign Language make during their conversation. Data are from MulTeC (Multimodal Teletandem Corpus) and the lexical choices in each language segment were manually classified using wordlists and Keyword in Context and ANOVA tests were calculated across the sessions. Results show that the language separation principle tends to be respected and that Brazilians and non-Brazilians continue speaking the target language during the sessions; however, they also use a myriad of resources to maintain communication. This article contributes to the study of teletandem, primarily by quantitively analysing the linguistic data of initial sessions thus making it possible to understand some of the participants’ strategies to overcome their linguistic difficulties.

Resumo em Inglês:

Abstract Drawing on Translanguaging theory, which views language as a holistic repertoire, this study examines how students’ translanguaging practices (TP) are manifested and for what purposes. The participants were seven fifth-grade peers in a bilingual school in Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese - English). Their TP were recorded during an oral task based on a wordless, short video stimulus. The data were qualitatively analyzed and coded. Results indicate that TP occurred spontaneously and for specific purposes. The most frequent TP use included gestures, task management, meaning negotiation, lexical creativity, syntactic translanguaging, peer correction, and form negotiation. Findings suggest that translanguaging pedagogy is valuable in bilingual contexts where minority languages are developed because it enables students to communicate freely and critically in a fluid and dynamic environment.