Bowers J Michael, Kennison Shelia M
Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
J Psycholinguist Res. 2011 Aug;40(4):275-89. doi: 10.1007/s10936-011-9169-z.
The present research tested the hypothesis that the age at which one's first language (L1) words are learned influences language processing in bilinguals. Prior research on bilingual language processing by Kroll and colleagues has suggested that memory links between L1 words and conceptual representations are stronger than memory links between one's second language (L2) word and conceptual representations. We hypothesized that the strengths of memory links between L1 words and conceptual representations are stronger for words learned early in life than for words learned later in life. Support for the hypothesis was obtained in bilingual translation experiment with 36 Spanish-English bilinguals. Participants translated L1 words into L2 and L2 words into L1. Half of the L1 words were learned early in childhood (early AoA words), and half were learned later in life (late AoA words). The L2 words were translation equivalents of the L1 words tested; the average age at which L2 words were learned was age 7. Target words were presented either in random order or blocked by semantic category. Translation times were longer when trials were blocked by semantic category (i.e., categorical interference) occurred only when early AoA L1 words were translated into L2. Implications for current models of bilingual memory are discussed.
本研究检验了一个假设，即一个人学习第一语言（L1）词汇的年龄会影响双语者的语言处理。克罗尔及其同事之前关于双语语言处理的研究表明，L1词汇与概念表征之间的记忆联系比第二语言（L2）词汇与概念表征之间的记忆联系更强。我们假设，对于在生命早期学习的词汇，L1词汇与概念表征之间的记忆联系强度要比在生命后期学习的词汇更强。在一项针对36名西班牙语-英语双语者的双语翻译实验中，该假设得到了支持。参与者将L1词汇翻译成L2，将L2词汇翻译成L1。一半的L1词汇是在童年早期学习的（早期习得年龄词汇），另一半是在生命后期学习的（晚期习得年龄词汇）。L2词汇是所测试L1词汇的翻译对等词；学习L2词汇的平均年龄为7岁。目标词汇以随机顺序呈现或按语义类别分组呈现。当按语义类别分组呈现时，翻译时间更长（即类别干扰），且仅在将早期习得年龄的L1词汇翻译成L2时才会出现。文中还讨论了该研究结果对当前双语记忆模型的启示。
