Gibraltar Cultural Services and the University of  Gibraltar recently hosted the team from the University of Valladolid, Language Acquisition Lab. Around twenty Gibraltarian bilingual adults aged 18 and over, took part in the study which involved one to one sessions. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

A bilingual language study research project recently undertaken in Gibraltar has been described as  successful and interesting. The team from the University of Valladolid, Language Acquisition Lab  (UVALAL https://uvalal.uva.es) was hosted by Gibraltar Cultural Services and the University of  Gibraltar, following the signing of a recent MOU by both entities. Around twenty Gibraltarian  bilingual adults aged 18 and over, took part in the study which involved one to one sessions. The  investigation will continue with some online tests. 

Led by Raquel Fernández Fuertes (principal investigator), Esther Álvarez de la Fuente, Sonja  Mujcinovic and Tamara Gómez Carrero, the study conducts research on English and Spanish  bilingual acquisition, and makes use of linguistic theory, as well as spontaneous and experimental  data, to account for different linguistic phenomena that are related to language contact situations. 

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, and  it is 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 offering. This attracted a good response generating an  interesting question and answer session.