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Part of
Writing Systems, Reading Processes, and Cross-Linguistic Influences: Reflections from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean Languages
Edited by Hye K. Pae
[Bilingual Processing and Acquisition 7] 2018
► pp. 245–266

Chapter 12
The intertwining effects of first language and learning context on the bilingual mental lexicon

This study examined the possible effects of learners’ first language (L1) and learning context on the mental structures of second language (L2) polysemous words: the English prepositions at, in, and on. The study found that Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) who had lived in an English-speaking country had developed native-like mental structures of the three prepositions. By contrast, those with little or no experience living in an English-speaking country showed native-like mental structures only for on – the preposition denoting the most concrete notion among the three prepositions. These findings suggest that learners’ L1 may affect their mental representations of L2 prepositions, particularly those denoting abstract notions, but significant L2 exposure can diminish such L1 effects.

Keywords: first-language effects, learning contexts, bilingual lexicon, polysemy, prepositions
Article outline
  • Introduction
    • The bilingual mental lexicon
    • Prepositions
    • English prepositions
    • Japanese postpositions
    • The acquisition of L2 prepositions and postpositions
    • The rationale of the study
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Task
    • Experimental design and data analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion and limitations
  • References
Published online: 10 July 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.7.12aka
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