Self-funded PhD- Exploring bilingual language production and switching mechanisms via online approach

As over half of the population worldwide speaks two or more languages (Bialystok, Craik & Luk, 2008), it is of great importance to explore the language processing of bilinguals. Increasingly so as there is some suggestion this can be delay the onset of dementia. For the past two decades, a considerable body of research has focused on how language selection occurs, and of particularly interest are the challenges participants may encounter when switching from one language to another (e.g., Green, 1998; Costa et al., 2006). Most studies exploring the language production of bilinguals have administered lab-based approaches (see Gade et al., 2021 for a review), which, due to logistics, is necessarily restricted to populations physically available to the lab. This has resulted in very specific homogenous participation pools for work coming from particular research groups, and hence it is difficult to investigate the impact of the rich heterogeneity of bilingualism (e.g., proficiency in second language, age at which acquisition of second language began, frequency of using two languages) on bilinguals’ language switching. Compared to the traditional lab-based research, online-based studies enable researchers to recruit large samples of divergent and heterogeneous participants. However, the potential advantages of conducting online research on language production have not yet been realised and few studies have recruited participants online to explore language switching in bilinguals.

Consequently, the aim of this PhD is to adopt the online method to explore a variety of questions related to bilingual language production which would clearly benefit from larger samples and a more diverse population. By asking these questions we can potentially once and for all resolve the debate on whether there is a bilingual advantage in cognitive control (the mechanism resulting in cognitive reserve in older adults). 

How to apply 

Before applying, please read carefully the information on the prospectus Psychology | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol and make sure you have all the documents listed in the Entry Requirements – Admissions Statement and English Language Requirements.  

To apply, follow the link Start your application | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol and select the programme “Psychology (PhD)”.

If you have questions about the project, please contact Dr Polly Barr at polly.barr@bristol.ac.uk

Dr Polly Barr - Our People (bristol.ac.uk)

If you require assistance with your application, please email fls-pgenquiries@bristol.ac.uk