Abstract:
Few studies have considered bilingualism\'s impact on cognitive development within the sociolinguistic and cultural context of the immigrant communities where bilingualism is commonly practiced. In the United States, many Mexican-origin bilingual youth practice their bilingual skills by brokering (i.e., translating/interpreting between languages) for their immigrant parents who have low English proficiency. Meanwhile, these youth may also experience discrimination in their daily life. The present study focuses on Mexican-origin bilingual youth brokers (N=334) in order to examine how discriminatory experiences (i.e., daily and ethnic discrimination) and bilingual brokering experiences captured by profiles are related to cognitive control performance (i.e., attentional control and inhibition). We found no significant direct influence of either bilingual broker profiles or discriminatory experiences on cognitive control. However, the associations between discriminatory experiences and cognitive control performance depended upon brokering experiences. Specifically, greater discrimination was associated with lower cognitive control performance among moderate brokers (with moderate bilingual experiences), but the association was attenuated among efficacious brokers (with positive bilingual experiences). Findings highlight the need to consider the sociolinguistic heterogeneity of both discriminatory experiences and language use when investigating cognitive control performance in bilinguals.
摘要:
很少有研究考虑到双语对移民社区的社会语言和文化背景下认知发展的影响。在美国,许多墨西哥裔双语青年通过经纪来练习他们的双语技能(即,语言之间的翻译/口译)为英语水平低的移民父母。同时,这些年轻人在日常生活中也可能遭受歧视。本研究侧重于墨西哥裔双语青年经纪人(N=334),以考察歧视性经历(即,日常和种族歧视)和个人资料捕获的双语经纪经历与认知控制表现(即,注意控制和抑制)。我们发现双语经纪人资料或歧视性经验对认知控制均无重大直接影响。然而,歧视性经验和认知控制表现之间的关联取决于经纪经验。具体来说,在中等经纪人(具有中等双语经验)中,较大的歧视与较低的认知控制表现相关,但是在有效的经纪人(具有积极的双语经验)中,这种关联减弱了。研究结果强调,在调查双语者的认知控制表现时,需要考虑歧视性经验和语言使用的社会语言异质性。