This document summarizes a presentation by Professor Laura-Ann Petitto on the science of learning and its importance for schools and families. The presentation discusses how the science of learning uses multidisciplinary approaches to study how, when, and what people learn across their lifespan. It highlights key findings from educational neuroscience on early childhood learning and dispels common myths about bilingual education by presenting behavioral and brain imaging evidence. The presentation emphasizes that early and simultaneous exposure to multiple languages is best for optimal bilingual development and that bilingualism provides cognitive advantages. It calls for policies and practices to encourage multilingualism informed by the science of learning.

1. Sciences of Learning:
Why it matters to Schools and
families?
Professor Laura-Ann Petitto
Jan 17, 2015 University of Hong Kong
Sin Wai-Kin Distinguished Visiting Professor in the
Humanities
NSF Science of Learning Center Co-PI and Science Director
Gallaudet University

2. Thank You
University of Hong Kong
Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities
Dean Stephen
Andrews
多謝嗮你
Sin Wai-Kin Distinguished Visiting Professorship in the Humanities
Professor Nancy LawDr. K K Chan,
Deputy Secretary
for Education,
Education
Bureau

3. Cognitive Neuroscientist
Science of Learning
Big Questions
Neural Plasticity =
Impact of experience
dependent brain chang
The Language
Learning Brain
The Bilingual
Brain
The Reading
Brain
Methods: Brain
Imaging &
Behavioral
Studies

4. Plan
• Science of
Learning
• What is it?
Example
• Myths of
Bilingualism
Discoveries
• Goal: Myths
are Myths
(Wrong)
Why Science of
Learning matters

5. We Live in a changing Wor

6. We have a problem

7. Solution: How do we
learn?

8. Enter The Science of
Learning

9. Learning across the Lifespan
Science of Learning
Learning Across The
Lifespan

10. Science of Learning
Learning Across The
Lifespan
By Definition
Multidisciplinary
How?
When?
What?

11. Educational Neuroscience
Learning in Early Life

12. Social-Emotional
Reading-Literacy
Science-
Critical Thinking
Language-Bilingualism
Math-Numeracy
Educational
Neuroscienc
e

13. Historical Foundations
The Science of Learning
Dr. Soo-Siang Lim
National Science Foundation
USA

14. Revolutionary
Science of Learning & the W
14 Years Strong!
Stanford University
Vanderbilt University
Harvard University
Cambridge University
U College London
Birkbeck College
Serious Interest:
East China Norma
Shanghai Univers
National Funding Skyrocketing: England’s Wellcome Trust, USA’s Nationa
NSF’s Beijing Office
International Funding: OECD, United Nations
International Attention
Johns Hopkins
Gallaudet University

15. White House Workshop
on Educational
Neuroscience, 2015
Vatican 2004
International Attention

16. Cheng,
Kai Ming
2000
Brendan
Weekes
Nancy
Law
Bradley
McPherson
Carol
Chan
Stephen
Andrews
Dean
HKU Pioneers
The Science of
Learning

17. Why Language?

18. Myths about Bilingual
EducationDiscoveries Show Common Beliefs are
Wrong
18

19. Paradoxical Views
Harmful - Helpful
Disadvantages-Advantages
Multiple Levels
Countries
Governments
Scientists
Parents

20. What are the Common
Views? Language Delayed
Early Exposure is Bad
Language Confused
Children should learn mother
tongue first
Parents must speak target
language well before
speaking to child

21. If Bilingualism=Harmful Monolingual
Normal
Testing Common Views
QUESTION Is early bilingual
development ABNORMAL?

22. Two Ways to Test
Behavior and Timing in Development
Brain

23. 6 Months BABBLING
(Petitto, 1987; Petitto & Marentette, 1991, Petitto et al., 2001,
Holowka & Petitto, 2002)
12 Months FIRST WORDS
(Petitto, 1987, 1988, 2000)
18 Months FIRST 2 WORDS
(Petitto, 1987, 1988, 1992, 2000)
24 Months MORPHOLOGICAL & SYNTACTIC
(Petitto, 1987; Petitto & Bellugi, 1988)
SEMANTIC
(Charron & Petitto, 1991; Holowka, Brosseau-Lapré,
Petitto, 2002)
PRAGMATICS & DISCOURSE
(Charron & Petitto, 1991;Wilbur & Petitto, 1981, 1983)
Monolingual Milestones

24. Bilinguals are not delayed
Bilingual children SAME milestones
Petitto et al.
2001

25. Developmental Milestones Bilinguals
Same
Petitto et al.
2001;
Petitto &
Holowka, 2002;
Holowka,
Brosseau-
Lapré
& Petitto, 2002
25

26. Word Meanings &
Categories Grow
equally
Bilinguals are not confused
Word Meanings
Holowka, Brosseau, Petitto, 2002

27. Bilinguals are not confused
Syntactic Mixing
Code Switching
Bilingual children DO mix their
languages YES
Are they Confused? NO
Mixing related to adult mixing
Mixing is rule-governed
systematic
Petitto et al.
2001

28. Birth
Bilinguals
Under
~Age 5
Bilinguals
School
Return of
Myths:
Bilingual
Reading-
Literature
Return of the Myths – School!

29. School Myths
Reading & Literature in Two Language
Too early =
Disadvantages

30. Time-on-Task, and
“Interference”
Hypotheses
In turn, theory implied
Separation in time
BEST to learn to Read
First L1,
Followed in time by L2
Inspired from
Learning Theory in Education & Psychology
Competition of Languages yields “less time
on task” in each language

31. Age of First Bilingual or NEW
Language Exposure
Birth
Age 3
Age 5
Age 7-9
Age 9-12
Home, Intensive Community, Classroom
15 Language Pairs, including Chinese and English
Results - Earlier is better (AoE) – The Brain is Contributing!
But not in all contexts! Classroom only was not optimal
Home, Intensive Community Best
Culture can lessen impact of later exposure!
Kovelman, Baker, Petitto
2008

32. Two tests
Behavior and Timing in Development
Brain

33. Why Brain Studies?
• Behavioral Studies alone often support competing Models
• Brain studies permit the tracking of development over time
• Solution: Do both!

34. fNIRs Revolutionary
Technology

35. Testing Common Views
If Bilingualism=“Deviant” Monolingual Normal
Monolingualism =
Privileged Neural
Status in Human
Brain

36. Infants Results (14 mths
old)

37. Early & Simultaneous Multiple
Language Exposure within same
Developmental Period is Best
Early exposure to
2+ Languages
results in greater
brain tissue
associated with
Language, yielding
Language and
Reading
Advantages, in
Kovelman, Baker & Petitto, 2008 a and b;
Berens, Kovelman, Petitto 2013;
Jasinska & Petitto, 2013; 201437

38. Bilingual Exposure Benefits
Monolinguals
38
Kovelman, Baker & Petitto 2008b;
Berens, Kovelman & Petitto, 2013; Jasinska & Petitto, 2014
Monolingual children
show brain
benefits from
bilingual
Education!

39. Testing Common Views
Bilingual Brains are taxed Monolingual
Normal (Left
Hemisphere)
“Taxed” or
Abnormal
Processing demands
=Bilinguals more
Frontal Lobe

40. Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus
Word Meanings and Morphology
Left Superior Temporal Gyrus
TEMPORAL (e.g., sound) patterns
unique to human language Phonology
Left Hemisphere
Broca’s Area
Motor sequences and
segmentation of sounds, words,
and sentences (Syntax)
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Frontal=Higher Cognitive
demands
Temporal=Typical
Language processing

41. Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus
Word Meanings and Morphology
Left Superior Temporal Gyrus
TEMPORAL (e.g., sound) patterns
unique to human language Phonology
Left Hemisphere
Broca’s Area
Motor sequences and
segmentation of sounds, words,
and sentences (Syntax)
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe

42. The Science of Learning
Neuroscience & Education
Brain Science Revolutionizes our
understanding
Myth Busters!
Bilingual brains are advantaged

43. Neuroscience & Education
Bursting Common Views
Not Language Delayed
Early Exposure is Best
Not Language Confused
Not True: Children should learn
mother tongue first
Not True: Parents must
speak target language well
before speaking to child

44. Optimal Bilingual (Multilingual)
Language Success
How?Optimal
1. Earliest Exposure Possible (birth is best, but…)
2. Systematic, regular interactions in the language
with regular users (mixing is okay if systematic)
3. Across multiple contexts
4. Rich Social-Cultural Experiences
5. Equality of input
6. Learning: Informed by the Science of Learning.
Richly varied (in addition to rote. Fun! Games!
Play!)
7. Vital: Social cohort (children who are monolingual
in the target language; children to children)

45. Why have Myths Persisted?
Wrong beliefs have persisted
before!

46. Why Have Myths Persisted?
Importance of
Translation in Science,
hence, the Science of
Learning (This is Key)
More Information
needed to Education of
Doctors, Clinicians
More Information
needed to Parents,
Educators and Education
Policy 46

47. Encourage early
“simultaneous”
Bilingual-Multilingual
Home & School
programs,
+equal Proficiency
Require: Research
findings
Available
to Parents, Medical,
Teachers,
Policy Makers
Policy
& Practice
Early Bilingual
Language Exposure,
Bilingual Reading
Optimal
Policy Implications
Rich Learning Contexts
informed by the
Science of Learning
University of
Hong Kong
47

48. Bilingual’s Rock!

49. Thank you!
49
多謝嗮你

50. For Additional Information
•For more information, please see Petitto’s webpage,
especially Publications link
http://petitto.gallaudet.edu/~petitto/index/
•Petitto Publications within are available at Petitto’s
website
•See also the work and websites of the NSF Science
of Learning Center, Visual Language & Visual
Learning, VL2, at Gallaudet University for
Researchers cited within. See http://vl2.gallaudet.edu.
•See also the VL2 website for more information on the
research-to-translation products designed by VL2
scholars, e.g., the Bilingual ASL-English Storybook
Reading Apps for Children, The Parent Information
Package, and more!

51. Petitto Select References (Download at Web)
* Petitto, Zatorre, et al., 2000, PNAS, 97, 13961-6.
* Petitto et al., 2001, J Child Language, 28, 453-96.
* Petitto et al., 2001, Nature, 413, 35-6.
* Holowka & Petitto, 2002, Science, 297, 1515.
* Petitto & Holowka, 2002, Sign Language Studies, (3)1, 4-33.
* Holowka, Brosseau-Lapré, Petitto, 2002, Language Learning, 52(2), 205-262.
* Penhune, Cismaru, Dorsaint-Pierre, Petitto, & Zatorre, 2003, NeuroImage, 20, 1215-
1225
* Petitto et al., 2004, Cognition, 9, 43-73.
* Petitto, 2005, In McGilvray (Ed.), Cambridge Companion to Chomsky, Cambridge, 84-
101.
* Baker, Golinkoff & Petitto, 2006, Language Learning & Development, (2)3, 147-162
* Petitto, 2007, in Fischer & Battro (Eds.), The Educated Brain, Cambridge, 213-232
* Kovelman, Baker & Petitto, 2008(a), Biling-Lang Cogn, 11, 203-23.
* Kovelman, Baker & Petitto, 2008(b), J Cog Neuro, 20, 153-169.
* Kovelman, Shalinsky, Berens & Petitto, 2008, Neuroimage, 39, 1457-71.
* Kovelman, Shalinsky et al. & Petitto, 2009, Brain & Language, 109, 112-123.
* Petitto, 2009, IMBES, 3, 185-97.
* Petitto et al., 2012, Brain & Lang, 121(2), 142-155. (next page)
* Berens, Kovelman, & Petitto, 2013, Bilingual Research Journal. (next page)
* Jasinska & Petitto ,2013, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. (next page)
* New Work: Jasinska, Langdon & Petitto, 2013, Society for Neuroscience Poster

52. Kovelman, I., Shalinsky, M. H., Berens, M., & Petitto, L. A. (2014). “Words in Bilingual Brain: fNIRS Brain Imaging
Investigation of Lexical Repetition in Sign-Speech Bimodal Bilinguals.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 8:606.
doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00606.
Jasińska, K. & Petitto, L.A. (2014). Development of Neural Systems for Reading in the Monolingual and Bilingual
Brain: New Insights from functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Neuroimaging. Developmental Neuropsychology.
Vol.39, Iss. 6, 2014.
Jasińska, K. & Petitto, L.A., (2013). How Age of Bilingual Exposure Can Change the Neural Systems for
Language in the Developing Brain: A functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Investigation of Syntactic Processing
in Monolingual and Bilingual Children. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.06.005.
Kovelman, I., Berens, M. & Petitto, L.A., (2013). Should Bilingual children learn reading in two languages at the
same time or in sequence? Evidence of a bilingual reading advantage in children in bilingual schools from
monolingual English-only homes. Bilingual Research Journal. February 11, 2013. PMID: 23794952 PMCID:
PMC3685861 [Available on 2014/4/1].
Petitto, L.A. (2014). "Three Revolutions.” Bauman, H., & Murray, J. (Eds.). (2014). Deaf gain: Raising the stakes
for human diversity. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
Petitto, L. A. (September 2014). “How do Emerging Findings in Neuroscience Apply to the Classroom and
Education Practices?” Symposium on Neuroscience and Education: From the Lab to the Classroom.
Report/Monograph prepared and distributed by AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of
Science). Washington, DC.
2013-2014 Bilingual Publications

53. www.VL2storybookapps.com
Contact: Head, Digital Innovation,
Melissa Malzkuhn, VL2, Gallaudet
Contact: Head, Dr. Melissa Herzig,
Science & Translation
VL2 Advances in Science and
Translation
53

54. Science of Visual Language and Visual Learning Parents
Information Package
growing together
Contact: Dr. Melissa
Herzig, VL2, Gallaudet, :
Head, Dr. Melissa Herzig,
Science & Translation
VL2 Advances in Science and
Translation
54