Is my bilingual your bilingual? Researchers’ definitions and operationalizations of multilingual terminology

Abstract

Comparisons of results from studies of “bilinguals” often assume that the participants come from a comparable “bilingual” population. This study examines consistency in researchers’ use and definition of seven terms describing an individual’s language experience: monolingual, bilingual, trilingual, multilingual, heritage language user, language learner, and language attriter. We report preliminary data from 19 language researchers who completed a four-part survey. This paper explores responses to two of the four parts: the vignette and Likert-scale items. The vignette portion asked respondents to evaluate how well each of the seven target terms fits vignette participant descriptions. The Likert-scale portion collected responses to statements about beliefs and practices. The results showed wide variation in classification of “participant” language experience in the vignettes, as well as research practices such as control group comparisons and researcher beliefs about concepts such as the critical period and trustworthiness of self-report proficiency data. Altogether, the results highlight inconsistency in use of language experience descriptors and the implications for conducting and interpreting empirical research.