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29 - Language Dominance Effects in the Phonetics and Phonology of Bilinguals

from Part VI - Variables and Outcomes of Bilingual Speech

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

By
David Birdsong  and
Mark Amengual
Edited by
Mark Amengual
Mark Amengual
Affiliation:
University of California, Santa Cruz
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Summary

Researchers in bilingualism seek to identify factors that are associated with specific features of bilingual speech. One such predictive factor is language dominance, typically understood as the degree to which one of the languages of a bilingual is more often and more proficiently used. In this chapter we review landmark studies that demonstrate the power of language dominance in predicting fine-grained phonetic and phonological characteristics of speech production and on the perceptual and processing abilities in one or both languages of bilinguals. We then critically examine the construct of dominance and identify ways that dominance can be and has been measured, as well as challenges inherent in the measurement of dominance. We follow demonstrating the dynamic character of dominance by reviewing research on dominance switches and shifts. This is followed by a review of extant studies on language dominance in bilingual speech production, perception, and processing in both languages. We conclude with four areas where research can be fruitfully directed.

Keywords

bilingualismdominancephoneticsBilingual Language Profilelanguage contactspeech productionspeech perceptionL3 and dominance
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingual Phonetics and Phonology , pp. 655 - 676
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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