Cognitive and linguistic predictors of bilingual single-word translation

Abstract

One of the advantages of being bilingual is the ability to translate from one language to the other. From language learners to professional interpreters, many different types of bilinguals engage in translation in their daily lives. How successful they are, however, depends on a wide range of factors. The current study aimed to identify the cognitive and linguistic variables that predict how quickly and accurately bilinguals are able to translate single words. Eighteen Chinese-English bilinguals listened to words in their second language (L2 English) and verbally translated them into their native tongue (L1 Chinese). We observed that translation performance was predicted by factors related to language background, such as second language competence and language exposure, as well as domain-general cognitive abilities, such as inhibitory control. Translation performance was additionally influenced by features of the source language, such as word frequency, neighborhood density, and bi-gram/bi-phone probability. By examining factors relating to language experience, cognitive ability, and linguistic input, we shed light on the dynamic interaction that is required among multiple variables for successful translation.

Task-Modulated Oscillation Differences in Auditory and Spoken Chinese-English Bilingual Processing: An Electroencephalography Study

“…The behavioral results revealed that participants’ interpreting performance was significantly correlated with their L2 proficiency and L2 exposure, but not with their age, age of L2 acquisition and L2 learning years. Our results on the one hand corroborated previous findings on the positive relation between L2 proficiency and interpreting/translation performance ( De Groot and Poot, 1997 ; Tzou et al, 2012 ; Mayor, 2015 ; Chen et al, 2020 ), on the other hand provided novel evidence on the association between interpreting performance and age, age of L2 acquisition and L2 learning years, which have never been reported before. Since interpreting performance was not influenced by age-related factors, we therefore regard interpreting as an activity that relies more on intensive training than on biological aptitude.…”

Introduction to the special issue on cognitive consequences of bilingualism

“…They argue that lifelong practice of bilingualism can boost both the structural and functional properties of brain networks thereby enhancing cognitive functioning in old age. Chen et al (2020) examined performance in Chinese-English bilinguals on a translation production task. They collected both linguistic as well as cognitive control data.…”