Multi-factorial Studies: Populations and Linguistic Features

TY - CHAP

T1 - Multi-factorial Studies

T2 - Populations and Linguistic Features

AU - Schmid, Monika S.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2016, The Author(s).

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - It was suggested in the introduction to this volume that cumulative evidence from studies investigating populations of learners from varying linguistic backgrounds, under different learning contexts, and with a range of experimental designs is necessary in order to gain further insight into fundamental questions of bilingual development—such as whether first and second language learning are qualitatively different from each other, or whether cognitive maturation specifically and independently affects language learning. Such a meta-approach, however, is easily compromised, as what may seem to be relatively minor differences and adjustments in participant selection, data acquisition, coding and analysis may eventually make it impossible to compare the findings from one study to that of another, or lead to conflicting findings. This chapter discusses the issue of what factors characterizing the populations being tested should and can be documented. We start with a discussion of how the lack of such documentation and differences in analysis have muddied the waters in the past.

AB - It was suggested in the introduction to this volume that cumulative evidence from studies investigating populations of learners from varying linguistic backgrounds, under different learning contexts, and with a range of experimental designs is necessary in order to gain further insight into fundamental questions of bilingual development—such as whether first and second language learning are qualitatively different from each other, or whether cognitive maturation specifically and independently affects language learning. Such a meta-approach, however, is easily compromised, as what may seem to be relatively minor differences and adjustments in participant selection, data acquisition, coding and analysis may eventually make it impossible to compare the findings from one study to that of another, or lead to conflicting findings. This chapter discusses the issue of what factors characterizing the populations being tested should and can be documented. We start with a discussion of how the lack of such documentation and differences in analysis have muddied the waters in the past.

KW - First language attrition

KW - Second language acquisition

KW - Sociolinguistic and personal background factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103826298&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-11529-0_2

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-11529-0_2

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85103826298

T3 - SpringerBriefs in Linguistics

SP - 13

EP - 28

BT - SpringerBriefs in Linguistics

PB - Springer Nature Switzerland

ER -