​Around 20 Gibraltarians take part in a study on bilingualism.

Around 20 Gibraltarians have taken part in a study on bilingualism.

A team from the University of Valladolid, Language Acquisition Lab (UVALAL https://uvalal.uva.es) was hosted by Cultural Services and the University of Gibraltar, following the signing of a recent MOU by both entities.

The study is concerned with the contact between English and Spanish and, more specifically, with the phenomenon referred to as code-switching, a very common practice in Gibraltar. UVA believe this bilingual behaviour is not arbitrary but is governed by rather specific linguistic principles, claiming it's well-proven that a dense code-switcher is an extremely proficient speaker in both languages. UVA’s study involves the use of research techniques which are presently used in experimental psychology, linguistics, and psycholinguistics

A public lecture at the John Mackintosh Hall, under the heading ‘What does it mean to be Bilingual? Myth and Science’ was also part of the studio.