The Language Scientists

Today the Language Scientists are back to present the last episode of Series 3! It's been so interesting to have the chance to revisit some of the topics from this season. In this episode, we discuss some of our favourite insights and thoughts about this series. We discuss the differences in fluency a heritage speaker has in the home compared to their fluency in the majority language and how language learning is never finished: we are all learning new words everyday! We also discuss how we should ask other people and look to our community to help us share our home language with our children. Marie even shares a "firework" moment when her children started talking to each other in the home language. We don't want to stop at the home, either! let’s make schools a multilingual context where children can fully express their identities in any language they like.  And what's next for Series 4? Listen to the podcast to find out our ideas or go to our website to tell us what you would like to hear about! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.ukFollow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

Why do “The Language Scientists” keep saying that Leicester is a great location to discuss multilingualism? In this episode, Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta interviews Dr Michelle Harrison, a lecturer in French & Francophone studies at University of Leicester to discuss multilingualism in Leicester. In addition to discussing Dr Harrison’s experience working with Leicester’s Golden Mile and the many languages found here, she describes, a new collaborative project, “Diaspora Leicester in Translation: Living Heritage and Memory in Sayings, Poems and Songs”. This is a new project collecting and comparing sayings, poems, and songs from the many languages found in Leicester. To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.To read about Dr Harrison’s research, please visit: https://le.ac.uk/people/michelle-harrison To read about Diaspora Leicester in Translation, visit: https://dlit.le.ac.uk/  Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on Twitter (X): @dr_klzavaleta and  @mjbissonFollow Dr Harrison on Twitter (X): @michelleannehar Follow the DLiT Leicester project on Twitter (X) @DLiTLeicester Instagram @dlitleicester or Facebook @DLiTLeics Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.ukFollow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

What does it mean to be "bilingual"? How can we encourage and support parents to raise children bilingually? In this episode, Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta talks all-things-bilingual with Professor Antonella Sorace from the University of Edinburgh and Founding Director of "Bilingualism Matters", a non-profit organisation that brings bilingualism research findings to the general public. This episode provides an excellent overarching view of the benefits of bilingualism. Join us to hear Professor Antonella Sorace's summary of new research and insights into bilingualism. To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.To read about Bilingualism Matters and find more resources to support your multilingual family, visit https://www.bilingualism-matters.org/. To hear more about Professor Sorace's work, visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/antonella-sorace. For the most recent updates, follow Professor Sorace and Bilingualism Matters on X (Twitter): @AntoSorace and @BilingMatters Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and  @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.ukFollow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

In this episode Dr Marie-Josee-Bisson talks to Dr Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen about language choices in the family. How do parents decide which language they will speak to their children at home and are there rules to follow? Xiao Lan talks about Pride, Prejudice and Pragmatism and how these impact on family language decisions. Parents have a big role to play in providing a rich linguistic context for their children. But, parents are not alone and the community, school and government can do more to support the learning and maintenance of heritage languages. Let's start with small initiatives and scale it up!  To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.  Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson  Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk  Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists   Links to Dr Curdt-Christiansen's research:   https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/xiao-lan-curdt-christiansen  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8973-5251  https://familylanguagepoli.wixsite.com/familylanguagepolicy  https://www.languageathome.info  

As a language learner in the classroom, you may feel like you’re starting from no language skills and a lot of confusion. However, as Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta and Dr Tracey Costley discuss, even a new learner is bringing in language skills from other languages. When a language teacher encourages the use of other, non-target languages, they allow for "translanguaging". In these scenarios, translanguaging allows speakers to use other languages to communicate more effectively. To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.To read about Dr Costley’s research, please visit: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/COSTL74608/Tracey-Costley Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on Twitter (X): @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonFollow Dr Costley on Twitter (X): @TraceyCostley  Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.ukFollow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

In this episode Dr Marie-Josee Bisson talks to Ellie Chettle-Cully about celebrating multilingual speakers in the primary classroom. Ellie is a teacher and language lead at one of our local primary schools in Leicester, a city that prides itself on its multilingualism. What is it like to hear multiple languages in the classroom? Ellie talks about nurturing a sense of pride in her students and tells us that we should encourage students to use all their language knowledge in the classroom. In her school, all languages are valued and celebrated. Join us to hear more about how enriching multilingualism can be in the classroom! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU. Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists  

In this episode Dr Marie-Josée Bisson interviews Sajan Odedra from the Jalaram Bal Vikas Gujarati language school based in Leicester. They talk about the motivations for parents and children to learn more about their heritage language. Sajan explains how many secondary schools support pupils gaining extra qualifications in the heritage language. The discussion highlights that developing your heritage language is a skill for life with benefits beyond academia: it is a journey that allows the transmission of culture and traditions and children gain mental flexibility and empathy along the way. Join us to find out more! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU. Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk Follow our Instagram page: @the_language_scientists  

In this episode Dr Marie-Josée Bisson interviews Dr Marion Krauthaker about "La petite école de Leicester" a community language school project for French speakers. Celebratory of heritage language, this is a school designed for children coming from a French bilingual background. The episode discusses exposure to the French language and the value of children being engaged in a French speaking community. Join us to hear all about this exciting project and the fun ways that learning of heritage languages can be enhanced and celebrated! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.   Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists  

What does it mean to be a "heritage speaker"? The answer is a bit complicated. In this episode Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta speaks with Professor Silvina Montrul on the topic of heritage language speakers and what language acquisition patterns may look like. How are heritage speakers like native speakers? How are they like second language learners? How may this affect language attainment? Join us as we delve into Professor Silvina Montrul's research and knowledge on these topics!To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.To read about Professor's Montrul's research, visit: https://spanport.illinois.edu/directory/profile/montrulFollow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.ukFollow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

In this episode Dr Marie-Josée Bisson and Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta discuss raising children bilingually. Exposure to another language does not just occur in the classroom but may also occur in the home environment. This episode emphasises that individual experiences in speaking heritage languages in the home are unique, and that home exposure to heritage languages should be celebrated; even a little exposure goes a long way! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.   Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk  Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists  

In this Episode, Dr Bisson talks to Professor Emma Marsden about a really important change coming to the French, German and Spanish curriculum in England. There is going to be a more defined and constrained list of words that students have to learn and that are allowed to be on the GCSE exams. Is this going to make a difference to the number of students that choose to study languages at secondary schools? We think so! Join us to find out how many words are on the list and how this change came about.To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.ukLinks to some of the initiatives mentioned in the podcastOasis research summaries: read one-page accessible research summariesLP Pedagogy resources: access over 1000 language resources, schemes of works and word listsMultiling Profiler: check that a text meets the language knowledge of your learners 

In this episode, Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta interviews Professor Neil Kenny, Professor of French at University of Oxford, Senior Research Fellow in All Souls College, and Lead Fellow for Languages for the British Academy. This episode addresses one of the central motivations for the podcast: how to increase the number of language learners in the UK. In his role as Lead Fellow for Languages at the British Academy, Professor Kenny has developed initiatives to encourage language learning and he describes a few of these initiatives, as well as why it is so important to learn a language.To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU. Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.uk To follow the British Academy and hear more about their work, they are on Twitter: @BritishAcademy_ To read more about Professor Kenny's work at the British Academy: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications/towards-national-languages-strategy-education-and-skills/ Links to some of the resources in the podcastThe Languages Gateway: the UK's portal for languagesAssociation for Language Learning: organisation for school resourcesUniversity Council of Modern Languages: organisation for higher education language learningWorld of Languages and Languages of the World (WOLLOW): resources for encouraging children to learn languages

In this episode, Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta interviews Dr Jiayi Wang, about those "unwritten" rules of language use, which are known as "pragmatics". What's really interesting about pragmatics is that they aren't really reflected in textbooks the way we originally learn a language. Dr Wang discusses research into English learners and their use of language in emails.To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.ukLink to Dr Wang's webpageDr Wang's research:Wang, Jiayi and Halenko, Nicola (2022a). “Mind your language”: L2 English emails during study abroad. In Halenko, Nicola and Wang, Jiayi (eds.) Pragmatics in English Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 29-56.

In this episode, Dr Marie-Josee Bisson asks Dr Walter Van Heuven about language organisation in the brain. How does the brain cope with having words in different languages and how come we don't make lots of mistakes when we speak (for example saying a word in French in the middle of a conversation in English!). Listen to the episode to find out! To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.ukLink to Dr Van Heuven's research lab: https://waltervanheuven.net/Example article about Dr Van Heuven's research:van Heuven, W.J.B., Schriefers, H., Dijkstra, T., & Hagoort, P. (2008). Language conflict in the bilingual brain. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 2706-2716.https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn030

In this Episode, we welcome you to Season 2 of the Podcast and talk about how the language that we know can influence the way we learn other languages. In particular, some foreign language words look really different compared to words in our native language. It may be that they include a combination of letters that are not possible in our native language. For example, "llw" in Welsh is quite frequent but for a speaker of English that will look quite unusual. How does this impact the learning of words? Join Dr Kaitlyn and Dr Marie in this episode to learn more about it (and we revisit incidental learning which is Marie's favourite topic!).To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbissonOr get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.ukLink to our research lab the Language LabA recent publication on Marie's work:Bisson, M-J. (2022). Learning words with unfamiliar orthography: The role of cognitive abilities. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000390 

In this episode, Dr Zavaleta speaks with Dr Anue Kukona about psycholinguistic research. In particular, they discuss conduction research over the internet and the advantages that come with that in terms of a more diverse sample of participants, mouse-tracking as an alternative to eye-tracking, as well as predictions in language that goes at three times the normal speed! Join us for an interesting episode! Can you help us by completing our survey? We would like to know what you liked about this episode, what you would like to hear about next and also whether you have encountered any barriers in your language learning journey. Click here for the link to this 5-minute survey. Follow Dr Zavaleta on twitter:  @dr_klzavaleta  Or get in touch with her via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk    The Language Scientists Podcast website: languagescientists.our.dmu.ac.uk  Follow Dr Kukona on Twitter @AnueBK Or get in touch via email: a.p.bakerkukona@greenwich.ac.uk or Dr Kukona's webpage  Link to an article on mouse-tracking as mentioned in the episode:  Kukona, A., Jordan, A. Online mouse cursor trajectories distinguish phonological activation by linguistic and nonlinguistic sounds. Psychon Bull Rev (2022). https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02153-6 

In this episode Dr Bisson interviews Dr Zavaleta about her research on speech errors (when you say cat instead of dog or "Platurn" instead of planet because you were also thinking of Saturn... ). Dr Zavaleta explains how speech errors are a normal occurrence especially when we learn another language. Things get muddled up and the wrong word comes out but speech errors are so interesting because they tell us so much about the organisation of language in the brain. Join us for an interesting episode that we can all relate to. Can you help us by completing our survey? We would like to know what you liked about this episode, what you would like to hear about next and also whether you have encountered any barriers in your language learning journey. Click here for the link to this 5-minute survey. Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta  and  @mjbisson Or get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and  marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.uk Or via the De Montfort University website: Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta and Dr Marie-Josee Bisson  The Language Scientists Podcast website: languagescientists.our.dmu.ac.uk  Link to Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson's research lab: sites.google.com/view/languagelab-dmu  Zavaleta, K. L., & Nicol, J. L. (2018). Effects of second language proficiency and working memory span on novel language learning. Journal of Second Language Studies, 1(1), 79-105. 

In this episode, Dr Bisson talks to Professor Matthew Inglis about the importance of randomised controlled trials in education research. In other words, why is it crucial to allocate pupils to an intervention randomly and at the pupil level (rather than, say, a whole class) in order to be able to draw strong conclusions from a research study. Join us as we discuss how to get teachers better informed about this and other research methods.    Can you help us by completing our survey? We would like to know what you liked about this episode, what you would like to hear about next and also whether you have encountered any barriers in your language learning journey. Click here for the link to this 5-minute survey. Follow Dr Bisson on twitter:  @mjbisson Or get in touch with her via email:  marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.uk The Language Scientists Podcast website: languagescientists.our.dmu.ac.uk Link to Dr Bisson's research lab: sites.google.com/view/languagelab-dmu  Visit Dr Inglis research webpage or get in touch via email: m.j.inglis@lboro.ac.uk  Link to research article mentioned in the podcast Jones, I., Bisson, M., Gilmore, C. & Inglis, M. (2019). Measuring conceptual understanding in randomised controlled trials: Can comparative judgement help? British Educational Research Journal, 45, 662-680.

In this episode Dr Bisson speaks with Dr Angelos Lengeris about phonological abilities and their importance for language learning. Join us to hear about how we can train our ear to hear sounds that do not exist in our native language and how this then helps us speak with a more "native-like" accent. Can you help us by completing our survey? We would like to know what you liked about this episode, what you would like to hear about next and also whether you have encountered any barriers in your language learning journey. Click here for the link to this 5-minute survey. Follow Dr Bisson on twitter:  @mjbisson Or get in touch with her via email:  marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.uk The Language Scientists Podcast website: languagescientists.our.dmu.ac.uk Link to Dr Bisson's research lab: sites.google.com/view/languagelab-dmu  Visit Dr Lengeris research webpage or get in touch via email: A.Lengeris@phil.uoa.gr  Link to research article on training phonological abilities Lengeris, A. (2018). Computer-based auditory training improves second-language vowel production in spontaneous speech. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America Express Letters, 144 (3), EL165-171. 

In this episode Dr Zavaleta speaks with Dr Elizabeth Enkin about using virtual reality as a tool for language learning. Join us to hear research using virtual reality to help students speak in the target language whilst reducing feelings of anxiety, even using virtual sculpture making as a way of facilitating target language use.Can you help us by completing our survey? We would like to know what you liked about this episode, what you would like to hear about next and also whether you have encountered any barriers in your language learning journey. Click here for the link to this 5-minute survey.Follow Dr Zavaleta on twitter: @dr_klzavaletaOr get in touch with her via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk   The Language Scientists Podcast website: languagescientists.our.dmu.ac.uk  Link to our research lab: sites.google.com/view/languagelab-dmuFollow Dr Enkin's department at @UNLModLangOr contact her via email: eenkin@unl.edu  Link to book chapter mentioned in the Podcast https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352798940_The_Smart_Language_Lab_Building_and_Integrating_Emerging_Technology_into_Language_Programs