External non-linguistic cues influence language selection during a forced choice task

This study investigated the effect of external non-linguistic cues on language selection in bilinguals. Participants viewed photographs and stated in which language they would speak to the individuals in those photographs via a button press. These images were manipulated such that external cues (the 'speak Welsh' logo, presented in the form of a poster or a lanyard) were present or absent. Participants responded faster and selected Welsh as their language of choice more often in trials that contained a language cue than in trials in which a language cue was absent. Furthermore, trials containing a lanyard had a greater effect on participant performance than trials containing a poster. These results suggest that external cues can influence language selection in bilinguals, and that the perceived reliability of the cue can modulate this effect. These findings have implications for the language selection literature and could inform the development of future language use interventions.

Automated summary

This study investigated the impact of external non-linguistic cues on language selection in bilinguals. The results showed that participants responded faster and more frequently chose Welsh as their language of choice when a language cue was present. Furthermore, cues in the form of lanyards had a stronger effect on participant performance compared to cues presented as posters. This suggests that external cues can influence language selection in bilinguals and the perceived reliability of the cue can modulate this effect.