Public Presentation - Chuchu Li, Ph.D. Faculty Candidate - Psychology Department
Candidate for a faculty position in the Department of Psychology
Chuchu Li, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of California, San Diego
Juggling Two Languages in One Mind—The Mechanisms of Bilingual Language Control
Bilinguals seem to effortlessly choose which language they wish to speak, although studies show that both languages are always active even when bilinguals speak in monolingual contexts. I will present a series of studies on how bilinguals switch languages, thus revealing the mechanisms of bilingual language control. Specifically, I consider how bilinguals manage activation of cognates, which may pose special challenges to bilingual control mechanisms, because of overlap in form (e.g., the Spanish word for lemon is limón). While cognates sometimes facilitate language switching, in other situations they magnify interference and make it more difficult for bilinguals to switch languages, an effect that is even stronger among patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This work reveals that language switching requires both specialized linguistic processes and also relies on domain-general cognitive abilities such as inhibition and monitoring. In addition, it has implications for neuropsychological evaluation of bilinguals, and has uncovered unique tasks for detection of AD. Finally, I will present my current and future work using ERP methods and the work focusing on bimodal bilinguals, which could additionally contribute to our understanding of bilingual control in different modalities and in different populations..
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