Multi-modal Expression of Events by Bilinguals: Do Proficiency, Language, Discourse Context, and Event Type Matter?

Gesture and speech form tightly integrated systems in first language (L1) production, with gestures either augmenting or supplementing the information conveyed in speech. We know less about the gesture-speech system in second language (L2) production, particularly with respect to speaker proficiency, language typology and task demands imposed by the discourse context. In this study, we focus on the speech and gestures produced by two groups of adult Persian (L1)- English (L2) bilinguals, as compared to adult English monolinguals. In Study 1, we focus on productions in English and ask whether speaker proficiency (native, high, low) and discourse context (narrative, explanation) influence the overall amount, diversity, and complexity of speech and gesture production. In study 2, we focus on productions in both English and Persian and ask whether speaker proficiency (native, high, low) and event (self-motion, caused- motion) have an effect on language-specific patterns of speech and gesture production. Understanding key factors that influence the expression of motion events in both L1 and L2 production contexts not only advances our knowledge of bilingualism but also carries significant implications for language education and cross-cultural communication in second-language learning contexts.