Language control in bilingual production: Insights from error rate and error type in sentence production
Date
2021Author
Martin, Clara D.
Nozari, Nazbanou
Metadata
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Martin CD, Nozari N (2021). Language control in bilingual production: Insights from error rate and error type in sentence production. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 24, 374–388. https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S1366728920000590
Abstract
Most research showing that cognates are named faster than non-cognates has focused on
isolated word production which might not realistically reflect cognitive demands in
sentence production. Here, we explored whether cognates elicit interference by examining
error rates during sentence production, and how this interference is resolved by language
control mechanisms. Twenty highly proficient Spanish–English bilinguals described visual
scenes with sentence structures ‘NP1-verb-NP2’ (NP = noun-phrase). Half the nouns
and half the verbs were cognates and two manipulations created high control demands.
Both situations that demanded higher inhibitory control pushed the cognate effect from
facilitation towards interference. These findings suggest that cognates, similar to phonologically
similar words within a language, can induce not only facilitation but robust
interference.