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The “work” of being a bilingual: Exploring effects of forced language switching on language production and stress level in a real-world setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2020

Sara A. Smith Open the ORCID record for Sara A. Smith [Opens in a new window] ,
Stephanie R. Seitz ,
Kelly H. Koutnik ,
Meaghan Mckenna  and
Jorge N. Garcia
Sara A. Smith*
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
Stephanie R. Seitz
Affiliation:
California State University East Bay
Kelly H. Koutnik
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
Meaghan Mckenna
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
Jorge N. Garcia
Affiliation:
California State University East Bay
*
*Corresponding author. Email: sarasmith3@usf.edu
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Abstract

Research using single-word paradigms has established that forced language switching incurs processing costs for some bilinguals, yet, less research has addressed this phenomenon at the utterance level or considered real-world applications. The current study examined the impacts of forced language switching on spoken output and stress using a simulated virtual meeting. Twenty Spanish–English heritage bilinguals responded to general work-oriented questions in monolingual English (control) or language-switching (experimental) conditions. Responses were analyzed for mean length of utterance (MLU) and type-token-ratio (TTR). Multilevel modeling revealed an interaction effect of Condition (control vs. experimental) and question order on MLU, such that participants in the experimental condition produced significantly shorter utterances by the end of the task. Participants also had significantly lower lexical variation (TTR) overall in the experimental than the control condition. A 2 × 2 ANOVA revealed a significant effect of Condition and an interaction of Task (pre- vs. posttask) and Condition, such that participants in the control condition reported significantly lower stress after the activity. Results demonstrated the impact of a forced switching condition on production at the utterance level. Findings have implications for theory and scenarios in which heritage bilinguals are asked to use multiple languages in the workplace.

Keywords

bilingualismadult typical languagecognitionadult second language acquisition
Type
Original Article
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , May 2020 , pp. 701 - 725
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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