The Childhood and Youth Studies Research Group, MHSES is delighted to invite you to the launch of the 6 Weeks online seminar series titled: Engaging Children and Young People: Participatory Research Methods and Ethical Complexities. This seminar series will bring together researchers from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences- University of Edinburgh, who are researching with children and young people. The seminar series welcomes all researchers interested in the field. In alignment with participatory methods, our intention is that these seminars will be lively, interactive events, with opportunities for group discussion and connecting with other researchers.

During the launch, we will present interesting findings of the CAHSS Childhood and Youth Research Mapping Project, conducted during July 2020. We will provide a summary of the research activity of 140 researchers across the CAHSS.

To launch the seminar series, our first speaker Antonella Sorace, Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, will present some of her recent research on child bilingualism.

Abstract

What does it mean for a child to have more than one language? There are many widespread misconceptions about learning a second language in childhood: for example, many people still think that early bilingualism makes children confused and puts them at a disadvantage at school, or that language learning is not a priority. Research, in contrast, shows that bilingualism - in any languages - may give children enhanced literacy and general language skills, a sensitivity to other people’s points of view, and mental flexibility in dealing with complex situations. These effects, however, are not always found. In my talk I will present some of our recent research showing that linguistic and cognitive aspects of child bilingualism interact in important ways with social factors and social attitudes. Much more interdisciplinary research is needed to put together a complete picture of the effects of early bilingual experiences.

Biography

Antonella Sorace is Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the British Academy. She is a world leading authority and has published widely in the field of bilingualism across the lifespan, where she brings together methods from linguistics, experimental psychology, and cognitive science. She is also committed to bringing research to people in different sectors of society. She is the founding director of the research and information centre Bilingualism Matters, which currently has 26 branches in three different continents.