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Defining bilingualism as a continuum Some tools and consequences for the study of bilingual mind and brain effects

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Published
  • Jason Rothman
  • Fatih Bayram
  • Vincent DeLuca
  • Jorge González Alonso
  • Maki Kubota
  • Eloi Puig-Mayenco
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Publication date15/05/2023
Host publicationUnderstanding Language and Cognition through Bilingualism
EditorsGigi Luk, John A.E. Anderson, John G. Grundy
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Pages38-67
Number of pages30
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Publication series

NameStudies in Bilingualism
Volume64
ISSN (Print)0928-1533

Abstract

The measurement of bilingualism is complex but essential for (psycho)linguistic, cognitive and neural research. In addition to the conventional group comparison approach, namely comparing monolinguals to bilinguals, recent research has adopted continuous or multi-dimensional approaches. The aim of this chapter is to review a series of tools, including self-report usage and proficiency measures used in the literature. These tools were used with samples across the lifespan in North America and Europe. We further examine the aspects of bilingualism extracted from these tools. Finally, we outline the limitations of existing bilingual measurement tools and the need for researchers to justify the choice of each tool. Importantly, we advocate for taking a more nuanced understanding of bilingualism beyond individual usage and consider this experience as fluid, continuous rather than categorical.