B.E.E. Lab Research

Language and Reading Comprehension in Bilingual Children, Adolescents, and Adults
(Funded by NSERC Discovery Grant)

Language forms the building blocks of literacy. In this project, we aim to find out the relationship between the ability to understand spoken language and text in bilingual children (6-9 years old), adolescents (12-15 years old), and adults (18-40 years old). Data collection for the first time point was completed in summer 2021. We will see the children and adolescents about 10 months later.

Coordinators:
julie.oh [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Julie Oh) (children), justin.feng [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Justin Feng) (adolescents), lauren.schellenberg [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Lauren Schellenberg) (adults)

Learning from Language and Text in Multilingual Adults
(Funded by McGill Internal SSHRC and Faculty of Education GSSF)

Many multilingual university students are learning in their non-dominant language, including those who have learning difficulties. In this project, we explore how multilingualism and learning difficulties interact in learning new information among adults. In particular, we are looking for university students who self-identified with learning disabilities and are supported by university student services. For more information, please click on the following poster or follow this link: bit.ly/BEELDL2

Coordinator: katie.hartwick [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Katie Hartwick)

Characterizing Bilingual Experience in Children

Bilingual experience is dynamic and it changes according to the linguistic environment an individual is in. In this project, we examined children’s daily practices of managing multiple languages through surveys. We are looking for parents with children between 6-12 years old. For more information, please follow this link.

Coordinator: julie.oh [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Julie Oh)

Collaboration

Resting-state Functional Connectivity in Bilingual Adolescents and Adults
(Funded by Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music)

In this project, we examine how bilingual experience modulates resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents and adults. Participants underwent a fMRI session in which they were told to open their eyes and rest. We recorded their spontaneous brain activity for 6 mins. We investigate how different brain regions show coordinating activity during this period.

Role: Principal Investigator
Collaborators: Debra Titone (McGill Psychology), Annie Beatty-Martinez (McGill Psychology), Nathan Spreng (MNI), Xiaoqian Chai (MNI)

Special Education Representation and Achievement Gaps Across the School Years by Language Status
(Funded by Tennessee Education Research Alliance)

We investigate the potential disproportional representation of English Learners (ELs) in special education in Tennessee from 2009-2019. To recognize the heterogeneity among ELs, and bilingual students more broadly, we stratify students based on their English proficiency and bilingualism). This secondary data analysis aims to provide a historical overview of how language status and special education intersect in Tennessee.

Role: Co-Investigator
Collaborators: Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez (PI, Vanderbilt), Min Hyun Oh (Vanderbilt), Adam Rollins (TN Department of Education)

The Role of Self-Regulation and Classroom Self-Regulatory Supports in Early Education
(Funded by NIH)

The Tulsa SEED (School Experiences and Early Development) Study is among the nation’s most comprehensive evaluations of public pre-kindergarten. Tulsa SEED is following a sample of low-income children in publicly-funded pre-k in Tulsa, OK, beginning when children were 3-years-old (2016) through 4th grade (2023). For more information, please see The Child Development and Social Policy Lab and The Early Childhood Education Institute at University of Oklahoma – Tulsa. Also, please check out these research briefs.

Role: Co-PI
Collaborators: Anna Johnson (PI, Georgetown), Deborah Phillips (Georgetown), Diane Horm (OU-Tulsa), Sherri Castle (OU-Tulsa), April Dericks (OU-Tulsa) and the SEED Project Team.

Plasticité Cognitive et Acquisition du Langage: L’effet de L’environnement Linguistique
(Funded by FRQSC)

This collaborative project aims to examine sources contributing to the heterogeneity of multilingual experience, focusing on the quantity of input, quality of input, and timing of input. Additionally, the study involves children and adults with different language learning experiences, highlighting cognitive plasticity supporting language learning.

Role: Co-investigator
Collaborators: Heather Goad (PI, McGill Linguistics), Fred Genesee (McGill Psychology), Lydia White (McGill Linguistics), Karsten Steinhauer (McGill SCSD), Phaedra Royle (Université de Montréal), Stefano Rezzonico (Université de Montréal)

Project CLIMB: Capturing Language Immersion Benefits
(Funded by IES)

There are many paths to becoming bilingual. In Project CLIMB, the research team examines the interaction of ecological (instructional model and home language use) and individual factors (executive functions and motivation) contributing to bilingual children’s reading development. For more information, please follow the Reading, Engagement, and Diversity (READ) Lab in University of Maryland.

Role: Consultant
Collaborators: Ana Taboada Barber (PI, Maryland), Kelly Cartwright (Christopher Newport), Gregory Hancock (Maryland)