Aug 2026· International Journal of Applied Linguistics· 0 citations· 27 references
Abstract
Research on the cognate facilitation effect (CFE) in sequential bilinguals and trilinguals' lexical processing has offered important insights into the structure of the multilingual mental lexicon. A key cross‐linguistic factor that has received particular attention is second language (L2) proficiency, yet its role in different‐script trilinguals remains underexplored. The present study addressed this issue in L2 and L3 lexical processing among Chinese–English–Spanish trilinguals using lexical decision tasks. By manipulating L2 proficiency and measuring the strength of CFE through reaction times and accuracy, the study aimed to investigate orthographic‐overlap‐driven, form‐based cross‐language activation between the two non‐native languages. The findings provide preliminary evidence that the strength of form‐based L2–L3 cross‐language activation may vary with L2 proficiency, and they are compatible with the possibility that more entrenched lexical representations reduce reliance on orthographic overlap during visual word recognition.
This study investigated whether L1–L2 structural/semantic congruency affects the processing of binomials in L2 English. Specifically, it aimed to examine how L2 learners process form‐meaning congruent binomials (completely‐congruent), semantically congruent but incongruent in form (reverse‐congruent), and incongruent (L1‐ and L2‐only) binomials compared to a baseline. Using reaction time data from a phrase decision task with 124 Japanese learners of English and 80 L1 English speakers as a control, the results revealed that L2 learners exhibited a significant processing advantage for both completely‐congruent and reverse‐congruent binomials over the baseline. Notably, this advantage persisted in both conventional and reversed word orders for these two categories, suggesting that semantic information may play a more crucial role in L2 processing than structural alignment. In contrast, incongruent binomials showed no significant processing advantage. Furthermore, while L1 English speakers were sensitive to L2 (English) phrase frequency, L2 learners' processing was more robustly influenced by L1 (Japanese) phrase frequency, with L2 frequency showing no significant effect. These findings are interpreted in relation to a common semantic representation account, where L1 and L2 multiword expressions and constituents are linked via shared conceptual representations, and suggest that L2 processing of congruent binomials may be meaning‐driven with the potential additive influence of L1 phrase frequency.
Taketo Nishide· International Journal of App...· 0 citations
Reading aloud can be understood as a dialogic and multimodal practice that engages phonological, prosodic, and auditory-feedback systems. Neuroimaging studies suggest activation of a predominantly left-hemisphere reading network, with additional executive-control demands often observed in second language (L2) contexts. In first language (L1) settings, readaloud practices have been associated with vocabulary development, prosodic sensitivity, and socio-emotional engagement; in L2 settings, their effects appear to depend more strongly on learner profiles, task design, and instructional scaffolding. The production effect may support recall in L1 and, when embedded in repeated and meaning-oriented practice, may also contribute to fluency and comprehension in L2. This article offers a narrative review of the literature on reading aloud in L1 and L2 contexts, integrating neurocognitive, affective, and mnemonic dimensions to outline pedagogical implications for inclusive language education.
Claudia Capaci, Marika Cardinale, Gabriella Ferrara· Rivista Italiana di Educazio...· 0 citations
This study investigates cross-linguistic influence in L2 prediction: specifically, the hypothesis that first
language (L1) speakers of a verb-final language are less likely to use verb information for real-time prediction in a verb-medial
(SVO) second language (L2;
Şafak & Hopp, 2023
). Two groups of L2 learners of
Mandarin (L1 English, SVO; L1 Japanese/Korean, SOV) participated in a visual world eye-tracking experiment to measure their
anticipatory fixations on upcoming arguments following dative verbs with categorical or gradient constraints. Results indicate
both groups made predictive use of categorical constraints of non-alternating verbs, with no evident between-group differences.
Following alternating verbs with gradient constraints, both groups showed a general predictive bias for prepositional dative
constructions. These findings indicate that lack of experience with verb-based prediction in the L1 is not a hinderance to
predictive use of verb-based cues in an L2.
Yan-Xin Zhu, T. Grüter· Linguistic Approaches to Bil...· 0 citations
: This study investigates the role of native language (L1) transfer in English language acquisition among Chinese learners, employing a questionnaire–based survey of 329 participants across different proficiency levels. The findings indicate that L1 influence operates across multiple domains, with the most substantial effects observed in grammatical and discourse structures. Typological differences between Chinese—a paratactic language—and English—a hypotactic language—pose considerable challenges, particularly in writing logic and syntactic organization. Although learners frequently rely on literal translation and code–switching strategies, they demonstrate limited awareness of L1–induced errors in discourse production, revealing a noticeable divergence between self–perception and actual linguistic performance. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that learners show a stronger preference for immersive learning approaches over metalinguistic strategies, such as comparative analysis or self–regulatory monitoring. Based on these findings, the research advocates for a balanced educational approach: Deliberately leveraging the mother tongue as a resource to elucidate complex linguistic concepts and rules, while emphasizing English as the medium of instruction to immersively cultivate cognitive patterns in the target language. The conclusion underscores the importance of integrating metalinguistic training and technological interventions to effectively reduce negative transfer and support the development of interlanguage.
Jian Zhong· Proceeding in Humanities, Ed...· 0 citations
This study provides a systematic psycholinguistic analysis of the 3000 characters prescribed in the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (CPGS). Drawing on the Dual-Route Model of reading and Cognitive Load Theory, it examines how character distribution and phonetic radical consistency influence the developmental trajectory of second language (L2) character acquisition. Characters were classified into phono-semantic compounds (PSCs) and non-phono-semantic characters (NPSCs), with phonetic transparency quantified via a 6-point scoring system. We further distinguished between external consistency (radical-to-character mapping) and internal consistency (regularity within radical families). Results indicate that PSCs constitute 65.9% of the corpus, with their density increasing markedly from approximately 35% at Level 1 to nearly 80% at Levels 7-9. This distribution reveals a "beginner bottleneck" where low sublexical support necessitates a reliance on the lexical route (rote memorization), imposing a high intrinsic cognitive load. Furthermore, nearly half of the NPSCs (46.97%) were found to function as latent phonetic radicals, providing critical scaffolding for later acquisition. The analysis identified 194 high-value phonetic radicals that support the non-lexical route through both direct mapping and orthographic analogy. These findings suggest that even when phonetic transparency is low, high internal consistency allows for analogical inference, effectively shifting cognitive resources toward germane load. This study offers a data-driven framework for an actionable pedagogical syllabus, prioritizing high-value radicals to bootstrap sublexical processing and optimize the cognitive rebalancing required for efficient L2 Chinese literacy development.
Second language (L2) processing engages both language-specific and domain-general control systems, yet how these systems vary with L2 proficiency remains unclear. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine neural activity during L2 English processing in Korean–English (K-E) bilinguals across three proficiency levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Participants performed rhyme and spelling judgement tasks manipulating orthographic–phonological conflict. Behaviourally, conflict conditions reduced accuracy, with proficiency effects observed selectively in the rhyme task. fMRI results showed that conflict processing recruited frontoparietal control regions, including inferior frontal and parietal cortices, accompanied by deactivation in default mode network regions. Critically, proficiency-related effects differed by task. During rhyme judgement, advanced bilinguals showed greater activation in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and cerebellum, whereas intermediate bilinguals exhibited greater recruitment of the left middle orbital gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. During spelling judgement, advanced bilinguals showed greater thalamic activation alongside greater deactivation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Activity in the left SMG and cerebellum was positively associated with L2 reading score, and cerebellar activity was also associated with rhyme-task performance, whereas right DLPFC activity was negatively associated with the scores. These findings suggest that increasing L2 proficiency is associated less with altered recruitment of core reading regions than with task-specific shifts in the balance between phonological-specialized, subcortical attentional, and domain-general control systems supporting L2 processing.
Joonwoo Kim, Jiyoun Choi, Yeonji Baik et al.· bioRxiv· 0 citations
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