scholarly journals Parallel language activation during word processing in bilinguals: Evidence from word production in sentence context

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER A. STARREVELD ◽  
ANNETTE M. B. DE GROOT ◽  
BART M. M. ROSSMARK ◽  
JANET G. VAN HELL
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Parallel Language ◽  
Production Studies ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Low Constraint

In two picture-naming experiments we examined whether bilinguals co-activate the non-target language during word production in the target language. The pictures were presented out-of-context (Experiment 1) or in visually presented sentence contexts (Experiment 2). In both experiments different participant groups performed the task in Dutch, their native language (L1), or in English, their second language (L2). The pictures’ names were Dutch–English cognates or non-cognates, the cognate effect serving as the marker of activation of the non-target language. In Experiment 2 we also examined the effect of sentence constraint. In both experiments a cognate effect occurred, but it was modulated by language and sentence constraint: The effect was larger in L2 than in L1, larger with low-constraint sentences than with high-constraint sentences, and disappeared in the high-constraint L1 condition. These results extend earlier bilingual word-recognition and out-of-context production studies, suggesting that also during word production in context, co-activation of the non-target language occurs.

Spoken word processing in bilingual older adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Titone ◽  
Julie Mercier ◽  
Aruna Sudarshan ◽  
Irina Pivneva ◽  
Jason Gullifer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Cross Language

Abstract We investigated whether bilingual older adults experience within- and cross-language competition during spoken word recognition similarly to younger adults matched on age of second language (L2) acquisition, objective and subjective L2 proficiency, and current L2 exposure. In a visual world eye-tracking paradigm, older and younger adults, who were French-dominant or English-dominant English-French bilinguals, listened to English words, and looked at pictures including the target (field), a within-language competitor (feet) or cross-language (French) competitor (fille, “girl”), and unrelated filler pictures while their eye movements were monitored. Older adults showed evidence of greater within-language competition as a function of increased target and competitor phonological overlap. There was some evidence of age-related differences in cross-language competition, however, it was quite small overall and varied as a function of target language proficiency. These results suggest that greater within- and possibly cross-language lexical competition during spoken word recognition may underlie some of the communication difficulties encountered by healthy bilingual older adults.

Lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation: Two sides of the same coin for bilingual reading across the adult lifespan

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
VERONICA WHITFORD ◽  
DEBRA TITONE
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Cross Language

We used eye movement measures of paragraph reading to examine whether two consequences of bilingualism, namely, reduced lexical entrenchment (i.e., reduced lexical quality and accessibility arising from less absolute language experience) and cross-language activation (i.e., simultaneous co-activation of target- and non-target-language lexical representations) interact during word processing in bilingual younger and older adults. Specifically, we focused on the interaction between word frequency (a predictor of lexical entrenchment) and cross-language neighborhood density (a predictor of cross-language activation) during first- and second-language reading. Across both languages and both age groups, greater cross-language (and within-language) neighborhood density facilitated word processing, indexed by smaller word frequency effects. Moreover, word frequency effects and, to a lesser extent, cross-language neighborhood density effects were larger in older versus younger adults, potentially reflecting age-related changes in lexical accessibility and cognitive control. Thus, lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation multiplicatively influence bilingual word processing across the adult lifespan.

scholarly journals Neural Evidence of Language Membership Control in Bilingual Word Recognition: An fMRI Study of Cognate Processing in Chinese–Japanese Bilinguals

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Che Hsieh ◽  
Hyeonjeong Jeong ◽  
Motoaki Sugiura ◽  
Ryuta Kawashima
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Response Competition ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Decision System ◽  
Language Membership

This study aims to examine the neural mechanisms of resolving response competition during bilingual word recognition in the context of language intermixing. During fMRI scanning, Chinese–Japanese unbalanced bilinguals were required to perform a second-language (L2) lexical decision task composed of cognates, interlingual homographs, matched control words from both Chinese (first language) and Japanese (L2), and pseudowords. Cognate word processing showed longer reaction times and greater activation in the supplementary motor area (SMA) than L2 control word processing. In light of the orthographic and semantic overlap of cognates, these results reflect the cognitive processing involved in resolving response conflicts enhanced by the language membership of non-target language during bilingual word recognition. A significant effect of L2 proficiency was also observed only in the SMA, which is associated with the task decision system. This finding supports the bottom-up process in the BIA+ model and the Multilink model. The task/decision system receives the information from the word identification system, making appropriate responses during bilingual word recognition.

scholarly journals Spoken Word Processing in Bilingual Older Adults: Assessing Within-and Cross-Language Competition using the Visual World Task

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Titone ◽  
Jason Gullifer ◽  
Shari Baum
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Visual World ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Language Competition ◽  
Cross Language

We investigated whether bilingual older adults experience within- and cross-language competition during spoken word recognition similarly to younger adults matched on age of second language (L2) acquisition, objective and subjective L2 proficiency, and current L2 exposure. In a visual world eye-tracking paradigm, older and younger adults, who were French-dominant or English-dominant English-French bilinguals, listened to English words, and looked at pictures including the target (field), a within-language competitor (feet) or cross-language (French) competitor (fille, “girl”), and unrelated filler pictures while their eye movements were monitored. Older adults showed evidence of greater within-language competition as a function of increased target and competitor phonological overlap. There was some evidence of age-related differences in cross-language competition, however, it was quite small overall and varied as a function of target language proficiency. These results suggest that greater within- and possibly cross-language lexical competition during spoken word recognition may underlie some of the communication difficulties encountered by healthy bilingual older adults.

scholarly journals Is there proactive inhibitory control during bilingual and bidialectal language production?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257355
Author(s):  
Mathieu Declerck ◽  
Elisabeth Özbakar ◽  
Neil W. Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Control Process ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Stimulus Interval ◽  
Parallel Language ◽  
Language Control ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Cross Language

The bilingual language control literature generally assumes that cross-language interference resolution relies on inhibition of the non-target language. A similar approach has been taken in the bidialectal language control literature. However, there is little evidence along these lines for proactive language control, which entails a control process that is implemented as an anticipation of any cross-language interference. To further investigate the possibility of proactive inhibitory control, we examined the effect of language variety preparation time, by manipulating the cue-to-stimulus interval, on parallel language activation, by manipulating cognate status. If proactive language control relies on inhibition, one would expect less parallel language activation (i.e., a smaller cognate facilitation effect) with increased proactive inhibitory control (i.e., a long cue-to-stimulus interval). This was not the case with either bilinguals or bidialectals. So, the current study does not provide evidence for proactive inhibitory control during bilingual and bidialectal language production.

scholarly journals Is there proactive inhibitory control during bilingual and bidialectal language production?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Declerck ◽  
Elisabeth Özbakar ◽  
Neil William Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Control Process ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Stimulus Interval ◽  
Parallel Language ◽  
Language Control ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Cross Language

The bilingual language control literature generally assumes that cross-language interference resolution relies on inhibition of the non-target language. A similar approach has been taken in the bidialectal language control literature. However, there is little evidence along these lines for proactive language control, which entails a control process that is implemented as an anticipation of any cross-language interference. To further investigate the possibility of proactive inhibitory control, we examined the effect of language variety preparation time, by manipulating the cue-to-stimulus interval, on parallel language activation, by manipulating cognate status. If proactive language control relies on inhibition, one would expect less parallel language activation (i.e., a smaller cognate facilitation effect) with increased proactive inhibitory control (i.e., a long cue-to-stimulus interval). This was not the case with either bilinguals or bidialectals. So, the current study does not provide evidence for proactive inhibitory control during bilingual and bidialectal language production.

scholarly journals Hands Down: Cognate Effects Persist During Written Word Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evy Woumans ◽  
Robin Clauws ◽  
Wouter Duyck
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Access ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Auditory Comprehension ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Written Production ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Production Research ◽  
Low Constraint ◽  
Written Word

Words that share form and meaning across two or more languages (i.e., cognates) are generally processed faster than control words (non-cognates) by bilinguals speaking these languages. This so-called cognate effect is considered to be a demonstration of language non-selectivity during bilingual lexical access. Still, research up till now has focused mainly on visual and auditory comprehension. For production, research is almost exclusively limited to speech, leaving written production out of the equation. Hence, the goal of the current study was to examine whether bilinguals activate representations from both languages during typewriting. Dutch-English bilinguals completed second-language written sentences with names of displayed pictures. Low-constraint sentences yielded a cognate facilitation effect, whereas high-constraint sentences did not. These findings suggest that co-activation of similar words across languages also occurs during written production, just as in reading and speaking. Also, the interaction effect with sentence constraint shows that grammatical and semantic sentence restrictions may overrule interlingual facilitation effects.

scholarly journals The Second Language Interferes with Picture Naming in the First Language: Evidence for L2 Activation during L1 Production

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Klaus ◽  
Kristin Lemhöfer ◽  
Herbert Schriefers
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Interference Task ◽  
Unrelated Condition ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Phonological Form ◽  
Naming Latencies

Previous research has shown that when speakers produce words in their second language (L2), they also activate the phonological form of the translation of the word in their first language (L1). Here we investigated whether this holds in the opposite direction, i.e., when participants speak in exclusively in their L1. In a picture-word interference task, speakers named pictures in their L1 Dutch (“mes” [knife]) while ignoring L2 English auditory distractors phonologically related to the English translation of the target (“knight”) or unrelated (“plane”). Naming latencies were longer in the related compared to the unrelated condition, suggesting that the L2 translations were activated up to the phonological level. However, this pattern was only obtained when speakers were addressed in the target language (Dutch) throughout the experiment. Moreover, the size of this effect did not depend on individual L2 proficiency. We conclude that co-activation of two languages is not restricted to the dominant language.

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