Bilingual Lexical Representation: Extending the bilingual single network

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2010-02-18
Language
en
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Abstract
Many studies have been done in the domain of bilingual word recognition. One important issue is whether bilinguals who read consider words from both their lexicons at the same time, or only one of them. This issue has been considered for example in the Bilingual Single Network model by Thomas (1997b). This researcher looked at how distributed models of monolingual word processing could be extended to the bilingual domain. With this computer model, he was able to illustrate the language-independence of lexical representations and interference effects. In the present project, I have extended this model to include natural language as input without using language coding units. The results show a facilitation effect for cognates and an inhibition effect for false friends and translation equivalents. These results are completely in line with the dominant theoretical view, i.e., that bilinguals possess a non-selective lexical access procedure to their mental lexicon.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen