This thesis considers how different groups of Spanish speakers (monolinguals, early bilinguals and late bilinguals) organize and limit grammatical optionality related to the placement of Spanish pronominal clitics with many complex infinitival constructions (Spanish clitic-climbing). In examining empirical work on the process and outcome of early and late dual language exposure and how early and late bilinguals acquire and limit grammatical optionality, this study will contribute to our understanding of 1) the nature of language-related cognition at different ages; 2) the systematic nature of bilingual language behaviour in child and adults (transfer, cross-language influence, etc.); 3) the cognitive and contextual factors associated with age of exposure to bilingualism to explain bilingual language behaviour; and 4) the importance of incorporating a clear model of language variation (language-internally and cross-linguistically) into a formal model of (bilingual) language. The empirical study conducted here tested how highly proficient heritage speakers (HS) of Spanish (native speakers of Spanish and Spanish-English bilinguals) deal with the optionality of clitic-climbing structures compared to monolingual speakers (native speakers) and highly proficient adult L2 speakers of Spanish (Spanish-English bilinguals). Forty participants completed a picture elicitation task testing a lexical limitation of the optionality, and an acceptability-preference task testing the speakers’ judgments on structural, semantic and lexical limitations of the optionality. Results show that all groups of speakers exhibited knowledge of syntactic constraints associated with pronominal placement in Spanish (optional clitic-climbing) infinitival sentences. All groups also performed similarly in exhibiting sensitivity to non-categorical factors that have been shown to guide the preferences of monolingual Spanish speakers. However, in the production task, the heritage speakers significantly outperformed the monolingual and non-native speakers of Spanish in their use of the Spanish-specific variant (proclisis). I explain these results through both cognitive and contextual factors related to age of exposure to bilingualism, and I discuss how the production results may underestimate a monolingual-bilingual difference for this optional domain.

The purpose of the thesis is to see how Turkish students understand their bilingualism. I have tried to explain bilingualism as a phenomenon and give an insight in national steering documents on the basis of different concepts used by researchers. The method consists of qualitative interviews with standardized character. Five upper-secondary school students participated and independently discussed the answers. The result from the interviews is the participators view on bilingualism. The answers were varying. I have got the answer of my question through the interviews and researches. The result is also connected to relevant theories.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-198).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Education." Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-213).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on February 1, 2010). " A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Linguistics." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 56 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-55).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 38).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 299-308). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

This ethnographic case study is situated in a suburban elementary school’s third grade Two-Way 50:50 Dual Language immersion model in Central Texas. Interviews, surveys and observations were conducted to examine the students’ use of the two languages targeted in the Dual Language Immersion program, English and Spanish. Drawing on the notion of “investment” (Norton, 2000) and Bourdieu’s theory of “cultural and linguistic capital” (Bourdieu, 1986), this research studies the language use of six students representing the two language groups in the program. In the data analysis, the researcher finds that the notion of investment is consistent in all the participants, although the aspect that they choose to invest in varies and is represented in their culture, language and identity. / text

Bilingual First Language Acquisition is not a new concept in the field of bilingualism but it is one that has become increasingly prevalent today. Inspired by my own BFLA background, this report is designed to grant some insight into this phenomenon that is presently observable worldwide. It is designed as an annotated bibliography in that it presents literature summaries of twenty-three articles concerning the BFLA theme. It is meant as a guide for parents and educators who are raising bilingual children in a world where bilingualism is not only prevalent and essential but also incredibly admirable. / text