What can homograph interpretation tell us about language status in Irish/English bilinguals?

Abstract

This study examined how language context affects homograph interpretation by bilingual (Irish/English) adults and children. Participants categorized written words and nonwords as 'Irish', 'English', 'Both' (homographs) or 'Neither'. This task was conducted through Irish or English. The homographs had a higher written frequency in Irish than in English. The results showed children were more likely to interpret the homographs as Irish, regardless of task language, while adults were equally likely to read the words as Irish or English, despite the higher frequency in Irish. Children's identification of Irish words was facilitated when the task was conducted through Irish. These findings reveal the fragile state of written Irish for L1 speakers and point to a need to support L1 Irish speakers in teaching and assessment contexts. Keywords