Michelle (Mitchi) Kamigaki-Baron will be giving an in-person research seminar at Totem Field Studio Seminar Room (121) on April 12th 3:30-4:30pm.
Title: Exploring the Psycholinguistic Connections Between Pidgin and ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi
Abstract: This research investigates the psycholinguistic connections between two languages spoken in Hawaiʻi: ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and Pidgin. Using methodologies and paradigms from the toolkits of complementary disciplines, this work addresses the possible cognitive benefits of teaching ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi using Pidgin as a medium of instruction, and explores the potential advantages Pidgin speakers have in learning ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as an L2. This work investigates a two-fold community based research question: how can we motivate speakers of a majority language to learn the indigenous language, while increasing access to education for Pidgin speakers? ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is the local indigenous language, however it is a minority language even within its own nation, spoken by 0.1% of the population as an L1. Pidgin is a majority language (spoken by over half the population of Hawaiʻi as a L1), however the language is stigmatized and is largely suppressed particularly within the education sector. As a creole, Pidgin combines linguistic elements from languages including English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and is thus related to the indigenous language across several linguistic dimensions. The two languages are also socially and contextually related. Past work, particularly within the context of Aotearoa (New Zealand), finds that languages that are linguistically, socially, or contextually related can lead to a psycholinguistic association which benefits the listener in several ways including increased phonotactic awareness and better access to L2 lexicon.