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Table 1 Language essentialism questionnaire items

From: How essentialist reasoning about language acquisition relates to educational myths and policy endorsements

Item label

Item wording

Specific Language essentialism

Genetically predisposed

People are genetically predisposed to learn the language(s) that their biological family speaks more easily than to learn other languages

Brain

People’s brains are naturally tuned to learn the language(s) that their biological family speaks more easily than to learn other languages

Determined at birth

People are born with the ability to more easily learn the language that their biological family speaks than to learn other languages

Inheritable

A person inherits the ability to learn the specific language(s) of their biological parents (i.e., the language their biological parents speak)

First Language essentialism

Gene

In the future, scientists will be able to determine a person’s ability to learn their first language by examining their genes

Brain

There are consistent differences between the brains of people who are better at learning their first languages and the brains of people who are worse at learning their first languages

Determined at birth

A person's ability to learn their first language is determined at birth

Inheritable

A person inherits their ability to learn their first language from their parents

Natural ability

People naturally have different levels of ability to learn their first language

Multiple Language essentialism

Gene

In the future, scientists will be able to determine whether a person is good at learning multiple languages by examining their genes

Brain

There are consistent differences between the brains of people who easily learn multiple languages and people who struggle to learn multiple languages

Determined at birth

A person inherits the ability to learn multiple languages from their parents

Inheritable

A person’s ability to learn multiple languages is determined at birth

Natural ability

People naturally have different levels of ability in learning multiple languages