Determination of bilingualism subtypes and their relationship with linguistic abilities in Lebanese bilinguals

Datos Bibliográficos

ID20507635
AutoresRania Kassir (0000-0002-5588-8575, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, autor de correspondencia), Halim Abboud (Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon), Olivier Godefroy (0000-0001-6789-6620, Université de Picardie Jules Verne)
Año2024
Volumen28
Número5
Páginas944-961
Fecha de publicación2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Bilingualism (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1367-0069 • E-ISSN: 1756-6878
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/13670069231203834
OpenAlexW4387904090
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas52

Aims and objectives: Profiles of bilinguals vary among studies due to the diversity of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, bilingualism classification and to the discrepancies between measures. Thus, a generalizable index with a defined threshold is needed to capture the linguistic dominance of bilinguals and facilitate comparisons between studies. This study’s objective was to define and examine the validity of a new bilingualism index. Methodology: This index was derived from the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) conducted on 100 bilingual Lebanese participants (age = 68.2 ± 9.4 years; education = 12.8 ± 5.2 years). Data and analysis: The bilingualism index was based on selected items of the LEAP-Q, optimizing the explained variance on a linear regression using the differential Arabic-French score on the Boston Naming Test as the dependent variable. The validity of the classification was examined using other linguistic (articulatory rate, shortened Token test, Stroop reading subtest) and cognitive screening tests (mini-mental state examination [MMSE]). Findings and conclusion: LEAP speaking and oral comprehension scores provided a parsimonious index that accounted for naming variance ( R 2 = .435, p = .0001) and subdivide our population into three bilingualism subgroups (prominent Arabic, balanced, prominent French). A prominent language advantage was found in the expected direction on linguistic (articulatory rate: p = .03; shortened Token test: p = .026; Stroop reading subtest: p = .0001) and cognitive screening tests (MMSE: p = .08). Originality and implications: These results show that a simple index can accurately characterize adult bilingualism subtypes and offers clinicians an easy and fast tool compared with the usual procedure used to determine individuals and patient’s bilingualism subtype. More broadly, the index’s validity in other bilingual populations is warranted for generalizability of the present findings

Age of Acquisition · Audiology · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Linguistics · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Reading comprehension · Stroop effect · Language Development and Disorders · Medicine · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development