Elisabet Garcia Gonzalez
Academic interests
My interests lay within the cognitive science of bilingualism. In particular, I’m interested in the cognitive processes involved in the use of two or more languages, and the overall development of language and cognition.
My PhD project deals with one of the hottest topics in bilingualism: the relationship between bilingualism and Executive Function. While a lot of research has found that bilingualism generally improves EF, these findings are increasingly controversial. I approach this question differently: could individual differences in EF affect the acquisition and development of bilingualism in young children? I tackle this question by looking at how code-switching in children is influenced by both individual and environment factors. My goal is to better understand this relationship and hopefully make an impact in the lives of multilingual speakers, their families and educators.
I coordinate the forum for clinical linguistics and language acquisition together with Ane Theimann and Helene Killmer.
Background
I earned my BA’s degree on Spanish Language and Literature (2014) by the Autonomous University of Madrid. Later I obtained a MA in General Linguistics (2015) and a research MA in Linguistics (2017) with a focus on language acquisition, both at the University of Amsterdam. I have worked as a teacher of Spanish as a second language and assisted in various projects related to bilingualism.
I am also an avid reader and writer (see links below if interested). My topics of interest are usually related to language and society or life in a foreign country. I have a great interest in history and the diaspora of communities. I enjoy my free time connecting to diverse groups of people through literature, language and culture. I manage a book club for international women in Oslo, I am a member of the Society for Spanish researchers in Norway (Spanske Forskere i Norge) and also one of the cofounders of the Asociation for Spanish speakers in Oslo (Asociación de Hispanohablantes en Oslo). I was recently elected first deputy representative for fixed-term academic staff at the University Board for the period 1 August, 2020, to 31 July, 2021.
Publications
- van Osch, Brechje; Gonzalez, Elisabet Garcia; Hulk, Aafke; Sleeman, Petra & Aalberse, Suzanne (2019). The Development of Subject Position in Dutch-Dominant Heritage Speakers of Spanish: From Age 9 to Adulthood. Languages. ISSN 2226-471X. . doi: 10.3390/languages3030025
- García González, Elisabet (2020). Found in translation: Towards a multilingual world.
- García González, Elisabet (2020). Growing up Multilingual: The Advantages of Language Switching.
- García González, Elisabet (2020, 07. juli). Punto de enlace - Elisabet García, investigadora en noruega del multilingüismo -. [Radio]. RTVE - Radio Exterior - Punto de enlace.
- García González, Elisabet (2020). The Cognition behind Language Switching. ¿Qué pasa en nuestra mente?.
- Lanza, Elizabeth; Hardach, Sophie & García González, Elisabet (2020, 10. september). In Quarantine, Kids Pick Up Parents’ Mother Tongues. [Internett]. The New York Times.