Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2017

Influence of Age of Academic L2 Exposure on Maze Use in Bilingual Adults

AUTHOR(S):

  • Rahul Chakraborty, Ph.D., Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
  • Celeste Domsch, Ph.D., Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
  • Maria Diana Gonzales, Ph.D., Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of age of academic second language (L2) exposure on mazes. Seventeen bilingual adults, varying in ages of initial academic L2 exposure and proficiency, formed two groups. Participants described three culturally calibrated pictures in L2. From their narratives, pauses, repetitions, and revisions were measured. A time domain measure, empty pause, was sensitive to L2 exposure and proficiency. Fewer empty pauses were used by bilinguals with higher L2proficiency. The influence of cognitive-linguistic processing was discussed. Overgeneralizing the findings is cautioned as the target languages, nature of the participants, language proficiency of the bilinguals, and the tasks may vary across studies.

DOI:

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