Anusha EPQ

  This study explores the influence of bilingualism on the cognitive processing of language and music. Specifically, they investigate how infants learning a non-tone language (a language which does not use tones such as English) perceive linguistic and musical pitch and how bilingualism affects cross-domain pitch perception. Dutch monolingual and bilingual infants of 8–9 months participated in the study. All infants had Dutch as one of the first languages. The other first languages, varying among bilingual families, were not tone or pitch accent languages. To do this, they carried out 2 experiments. The perception of human speech and music is shaped by initial sensitivities at birth and later learning from the environment. Language-wise, infants are born with the ability to discriminate a wide range of native and non-native sound contrasts at birth. In the first year of life, infant sensitivity shifts towards the native language.  Just as language, infants show initial sensitivity to m

  I managed to complete the tasks I set out for this month however I have started to read the last research paper towards the end of the month so I have to finish reading it this month. I researched a bit more about how lockdown affect bilingual and multilingual children and how this really challenging time for many actually helped these children improve their native language and build a stronger relationship with their native parents. For December I plan to finish any further readings I can find on this topic and I perhaps will try to organise a primary research in which I could ask the parents of bi/multilingual children about their children's ability to interact in all their known languages. I am aware that this month will be a a very busy time for me as I am starting to revise my mocks now and I am prepping for some medical interview I will have in January. However I plan to do these tasks for my EPQ.