Project Description

Individuals who use more than one language (bilinguals) switch between their languages effortlessly only when they live in environments where switching happens regularly (Beatty-Martinez et al., 2017; Tiv, Kutlu et al., 2022). While most studies on this topic have explored spoken language bilingualism, little is known regarding bimodal bilingualism. Sign languages are fully developed language systems that use gestures and body movements. Therefore, sign languages and spoken languages represent two different modalities in the brain: a sound-based system and a sign-based system. The intriguing question is whether individuals who use both modalities will depend on the same or different language mechanisms in the brain. In this study, we will test participants who speak American English and American Sign Language. Participants social network structure will be measured with a social network survey designed by PI Dr. Kutlu (Kutlu et al., 2021; 2022a; 2022b). We will then couple the network tools with eye-tracking equipment, which allows us to record eye movements which are indicative of how individuals process language. All items will include spoken and sign language mixed together. We hypothesize that bimodal bilinguals use shared cognitive resources when processing bimodal language and expect this to be modulated by their social network structure.

Student Statement

"My research interest lies in the intersection of language acquisition and processing. After taking my first linguistics course, I became interested in applying my background in science and mathematics to the study of language. This brought me to Dr. Kutlu's VoiceLab, where I have been a research assistant since the Fall of 2023. Dr. Kutlu's research on the psycholinguistics of bilingualism appealed to me in particular due to his experimental and statistical foci. In the VoiceLab, I have applied my theoretical math background to psycholinguistic data processing. With further exploration into the field of linguistics, an exploration enthusiastically supported and directed by Dr. Kutlu, my primary research interests have converged on the study of signed languages. This is a relatively new and underexplored area of research, and this funding would give me the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of language science as an undergraduate at the University of Iowa. Through this project, I want to shed light on an aspect of human language that has been historically neglected and discredited. This is evident even in studies where bimodal bilingualism has been the topic of interest. I aim to study how the mind represents spoken and sign languages using eye-tracking and network science tools. Designing and executing my own study and performing real and relevant scientific research would provide me with invaluable knowledge and skills for my goals of studying experimental linguistics in graduate school and going on to a career as a linguist. Through this project, I would gain hands-on experience using laboratory equipment (including eye-tracking software), analyzing data with industry-standard programs, and writing, publishing, and presenting my research to the larger scientific community."