Interference and Inhibition in Bilingual Language Comprehension: Evidence from Polish-English Interlingual Homographs

Abstract

The main goal of the present study was to explore the involvement of inhibition in resolution of cross-language activation in bilingual comprehension and a possible modulatory effect of L2 proficiency. We used a semantic relatedness judgment task in L2 English that included Polish-English interlingual homographs and English translations of the Polish homographs’ meanings. Based on previous studies using the same paradigm, we expected a strong homograph interference and inhibition of the homographs’ Polish meanings translations. In addition, we predicted that participants with lower L2 proficiency would experience greater interference and stronger inhibitory effects. The reported results confirm a strong homograph interference effect. In addition, our results indicate that the scope of inhibition generalized from the homograph’s irrelevant meaning to a whole semantic category, indicating the flexibility of the inhibitory mechanisms. Contrary to our expectations, L2 proficiency did not modulate the effects of interference and inhibition, possibly due to a relatively low variability in proficiency within our participant sample.

Neural signatures of language co-activation and control in bilingual spoken word comprehension

“…In the current study, we did not find behavioral differences between the homophone-related and homophone-unrelated conditions, which contrasts with bilingual visual word studies in which behavioral differences were observed (Durlik et al, 2016; Macizo et al, 2010; Martín et al, 2010). The current study constructed homophone word pairs in a very similar way to these behavioral studies (homophones with auditory presentation vs. homographs with visual presentation); therefore, a similar pattern of behavioral results was expected.…”

“…This unexpected finding could be due to differences in simultaneous and sequential presentation across visual and auditory modalities. During the simultaneous presentation, bilinguals may have experienced difficulty resolving the interference because the source of the interference – homographs – was constantly shown on the screen before a decision was made (Durlik et al, 2016; Macizo et al, 2010; Martín et al, 2010). In the sequential presentation, the interval between the two words provided a buffering zone that made semantic interference manageable; therefore, no conflicts were detected by behavioral measures.…”

“…This parallel activation has been shown to facilitate lexical access (e.g., Hoshino & Kroll, 2008; Van Hell & Dijkstra, 2002), as well as to interfere with language processing in bilingual comprehension (e.g., Dijkstra, Timmermans, & Schriefers, 2000; Lagrou, Hartsuiker, & Duyck, 2011). To date, research has shown that when bilinguals process visual words, they experience language co-activation and use inhibitory control to resolve competition from the non-target language (Durlik, Szewczyk, Muszyński, & Wodniecka, 2016; Macizo, Bajo, & Martín, 2010; Martín, Macizo, & Bajo 2010). However, it is less clear to what extent bilinguals draw on these same processing mechanisms during spoken word comprehension.…”

“…In a follow-up study to Macizo et al (2010), Martín et al (2010) manipulated the intervals between homograph word pairs (e.g., pie-toe) and translation equivalent word pairs (e.g., foot-hand) and found that the inhibitory control effect disappeared between 500 ms and 750 ms. However, a recent study using a similar design suggests that inhibitory processes in bilingual visual word comprehension could last more than 1000 ms, at least when bilinguals have limited proficiency in their L2 (Durlik et al, 2016). This same study also suggests that inhibition may extend beyond the non-target language translation equivalent to the whole semantic category to which the homograph’s meaning in the non-target language belongs.…”

“…This same study also suggests that inhibition may extend beyond the non-target language translation equivalent to the whole semantic category to which the homograph’s meaning in the non-target language belongs. More specifically, Durlik et al (2016) found that the presentation of word pairs such as “pie-toe” not only slowed down the subsequent processing of “foot” but also delayed the following processing of “hand.” These findings of inhibitory processes in bilingual visual word recognition seem to resemble those in language production, where the effect of inhibition has been considered long-lasting and widespread (Guo, Liu, Misra, & Kroll, 2011; Misra, Guo, Bobb, & Kroll, 2012; Rossi, Newman, Diaz, Guo, & Kroll, in preparation). …”