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    Multilinguals’ language choice for mental calculation

    Dewaele, Jean-Marc (2007) Multilinguals’ language choice for mental calculation. Intercultural Pragmatics 4 (3), pp. 343-376. ISSN 1612-295X.

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    Abstract

    The present study investigates self-reported language choice for mental calculations among 1,454 adult multilinguals from a variety of linguistic, social and ethnic backgrounds. As mental calculation is a complex cognitive operation involving both language-dependent and language independent processes, we sought to establish a baseline of first language (L1) or foreign language(s) (LX) use for mental calculation and identify the factors that influence multilinguals’ choice of language for mental calculation. A series of multiple regression analyses on calculation in the L1, L2, L3 and L4 showed that the following variables (in decreasing order) are the best predictors of language choice: frequency of general use, self-perceived proficiency in writing, socialization in the LX, context of acquisition, communicative and/or foreign language anxiety, perceived usefulness, and age of onset of acquisition. These variables explained over 40 percent of the variance in the foreign languages.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
    Depositing User: Jean-Marc Dewaele
    Date Deposited: 08 Oct 2012 10:50
    Last Modified: 09 Aug 2023 12:31
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/5137

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