Multilink: a computational model for word translation
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2012-05-31
Language
en
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Abstract
All bilinguals, even children, are capable of quickly translating words from one language
into another. This is surprising, because word translation requires complex interactions
of language comprehension and production under executive control. This
thesis describes an implemented localist-connectionist model, called Multilink, that
describes the word translation process in the way humans perform the task. It accounts
for the performance of high and low second language (L2) proficient bilinguals
in tasks like forward (L1 ! L2) and backward (L2 ! L1) word translation, as well as
lexical decision and language decision. Simulations are presented (based on a large
set of stimuli; 4017 English words and 2180 Dutch words) that compare Multilink to
monolingual and bilingual Interactive Activation models and consider the recognition
of cognates (form-similar translation equivalents) and the translation of non-cognates.
In the monolingual simulations remarkably high correlations were found between
Multilink and empirical data. A model-to-model comparison of Multilink to the Interactive
Activation model yielded a favorable outcome for Multilink. Only on the word
length effect, the model did not fully meet our expectations. In the bilingual domain,
a model-to-model comparison between Multilink and the Bilingual Interactive Activation
model again yielded a favorable outcome for Multilink. The word length effect
was also re-examined in the bilingual domain, this time with outcomes that were in line
with our expectations. Simulations on cognates and non-cognates processing show that
Multilink is capable of handling words of cross-linguistic similarities and differences.
Finally, in the translation simulations of non-cognates, the same asymmetry was found
as predicted by the Revised Hierarchical Model, a theoretical model of word translation.
However, where the Revised Hierarchical Model assumes this asymmetry is the
result of word form links between L1 and L2 word form representations, Multilink observed
the same asymmetry in forward and backward translation without the presence
of word form links between L1 and L2 word form representations. Thus, the model
shows that the empirical data do not require the presence of word form links between
L1 and L2 word form representations as suggested by the Revised Hierarchical Model.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen