Dear Friends,
We are delighted to share with you the Winter/Spring 2022 issue of our Center for Language Science/Bilingualism Matters at Penn State newsletter. The current issue explores the question of how words come into existence, which is a very rich topic. With the recent emergence of new words such as “zoombombing” and “maskne”, we thought this would be a good time to share with you some of what language scientists have observed and discovered about how words come to be. Our main research summary describes how words get borrowed from one language into another, and some of the interesting linguistic and social factors that shape the ways in which this occurs (spoiler alert: bilinguals play a very big role in this!). In our featured partner interview, you’ll have the chance to learn how College of Education faculty member Amy Crosson tackles word learning with young language learners, and you’ll also get a sneak preview of her new research examining how the shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic affected young bilinguals in U.S. schools. And don’t miss our fun word formation quiz to test your knowledge of new and old words, while you learn about word formation processes along the way! As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and ideas, and we wish you a productive spring semester full of new words and experiences.
Sincerely,
Frances Blanchette, Alexis Chin (editor-in-chief), Yi Ting Hsueh, Simone Luchini, Anna Serrichio, and Cole Callen