Article published in:
Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Vol. 8:5 (2018) ► pp. 561–605

Quantifying cross-linguistic influence with a computational model

A study of case-marking comprehension

| Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication (TiCC), Tilburg University
| Tilburg University
| Tilburg University

Cross-linguistic influence (CLI) is one of the key phenomena in bilingual and second language learning. We propose a method for quantifying CLI in the use of linguistic constructions with the help of a computational model, which acquires constructions in two languages from bilingual input. We focus on the acquisition of case-marking cues in Russian and German and simulate two experiments that employ a picture-choice task tapping into the mechanisms of sentence interpretation. Our model yields behavioral patterns similar to human, and these patterns can be explained by the amount of CLI: the negative CLI in high amounts leads to the misinterpretation of participant roles in Russian and German object-verb-subject sentences. Finally, we make two novel predictions about the acquisition of case-marking cues in Russian and German. Most importantly, our simulations suggest that the high degree of positive CLI may facilitate the interpretation of object-verb-subject sentences.

Keywords: cross-linguistic influence, computational model, case marking
Published online: 02 November 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.16038.mat
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