Hizlari gonbidatua: Raphael Berthele. Predispositions for multiple language learning: Behavioural and neurolinguistic evidence from children and adults

What: Predispositions for multiple language learning: Behavioural and neurolinguistic evidence from children and adults

Where: BCBL Auditorium and Auditorium zoom room (If you would like to attend to this meeting reserve at info@bcbl.eu)

Who:Prof. Raphael Berthele, PhD; Institut de Plurilinguisme, Département de plurilinguisme et didactique des langues étrangères, Université de Fribourg, Switzerland

When:  Friday,  June 6th at 12:00 PM noon.

Everyone is capable of learning more than one language, and for many, acquiring and using additional languages is not a choice but a necessity. At the same time, research on language aptitude (LA) demonstrates that individuals vary greatly in how easily they acquire their first, second, third, or additional languages.
In this talk, I begin by tracing the historical development of interest in individual differences in language learning, with a brief overview of early aptitude tests from the early 20th century.
The main part of my presentation draws on evidence from two empirical studies conducted in Switzerland.
The first study focuses on Swiss primary school children learning English and French. It explores cognitive, linguistic, and affective dimensions and their respective contributions to language skills. I will also discuss the role of social predispositions and how these interact with other factors in the analysis.
The second study examines language learning aptitude in adults, integrating both behavioral and neuroscientific approaches. The behavioral data encompass a broad spectrum of measures—from musicality and motor skills to general cognitive and specifically linguistic abilities. Drawing on different perspectives on language learning and acquisition, I explore how these abilities relate to multilingual experience and how they interact within the broader set of metrics.
I will conclude by addressing the question of causality and reflecting on the implications of both studies in the context of current debates on the malleability and heritability of cognitive and linguistic abilities.