Linguistics Colloquium: Tal Norman

Tal Norman, University of Haifa

Title: Factors modulating language processing in bilinguals

Abstract:

Both linguistic and non-linguistic factors may shape the way we process language. For example, language-specific characteristics, such as the morphological structure of words, may determine the processing strategies we employ while reading (Velan & Frost, 2007); and our sensorimotor experiences may shape the way we represent the meaning of words and sentences while comprehending language (‏Holt, & Beilock, 2006).        In bilinguals, things can get more complicated because linguistic knowledge in the first language (L1) may influence second language (L2) processing and vice versa (Degani, Prior, & Tokowicz, 2011); and language-specific sensorimotor experiences may differently affect comprehension processes in each language (Jared, Poh & Paivio, 2013). In this talk, I present evidence from two studies which demonstrate how such linguistic and non-linguistic factors modulate L1 and L2 processing in late bilinguals and discuss the importance of considering such modulating factors.

The first study examined whether beginners and highly proficient late bilinguals identifying words in their L2 might employ visual word recognition strategies that are shaped by the morphological structure of their L1. Arabic-Hebrew and English-Hebrew bilinguals performed a lexical decision task in their L2 Hebrew. Comparing these Arabic-Hebrew bilinguals, whose L1 morphological structure is highly similar to that of the L2, with English-Hebrew bilinguals, whose L1 morphological structure differs markedly from that of the L2, allowed us to evaluate the possible impact of morphological variations between L1 and L2 on visual identification of L2 words. Results showed that whereas beginner L2 Hebrew learners used reading strategies appropriate for the morphological structure of L1 words (Norman, Degani & Peleg, 2016), highly experienced L2 Hebrew readers exhibited processing strategies that are tuned to the L2 morphology regardless of their L1 background, similar to L1 Hebrew readers (Norman, Degani & Peleg, 2017). These findings suggest that the influence of L1 on L2 word reading in late bilinguals may be attenuated as L2 proficiency and reading experience increase.

The second study examined whether experience-based differences in acquisition and use between the L1 and L2 affect the way late bilinguals represent the meaning of words and sentences during L1 and L2 comprehension. Theories of embodied cognition assume that language comprehension involves the activation of non-verbal sensorimotor knowledge (i.e., sensorimotor simulations), in addition to the activation of linguistic representations (Barsalou, Santos, Simmons, & Wilson, 2008). To examine whether such sensorimotor activations may be weaker in a formally learned L2, relative to a naturally acquired L1, we tested late bilinguals, who have learned and used their L2 primarily in formal settings. Participants completed the same sentence-picture verification task, designed to detect the activation of visual-shape knowledge during sentence reading (Zwaan, Stanfield, & Yaxley, 2002), in both their L1 and L2. Results demonstrated that visual information about the specific shape of verbally mentioned objects was significantly activated only during L1 sentence reading, suggesting that in this type of bilinguals, while L1 sentence comprehension may generate substantial visual simulations, L2 sentence comprehension relies mainly on linguistic processes.

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