Bilingual Language Control by Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Behavioral Experiments and Computational Modeling

Abstract

Aims:

The present study explores how language switching modulates cross-language semantic competitor effects in Chinese-English bilinguals to test the Inhibitory Control Model and Language-Specific Selection Model.

Design:

Two behavioral experiments adopted a modified cross-language semantic competitor priming paradigm. Computational models simulated inhibitory and non-inhibitory mechanisms.

Data and analysis:

Linear mixed-effects models and generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze reaction time and accuracy from behavioral experiments. Computational simulations were compared with behavioral results.

Findings:

For L2 production, cross-language semantic interference effects emerge under non-switch conditions and diminish under switch conditions. For L1 production, no cross-language semantic interference effects were detected under either the non-switch or switch conditions. Computational simulations matched these results.

Originality:

A dual-mechanism account is proposed that L2 production relies on inhibitory control and L1 production on language-specific selection.

Significance:

Language control mechanisms by Chinese-English bilinguals can be modulated by language dominance.

Keywords

bilingual language control language switching cross-language semantic interference effects Chinese-English bilinguals computational modeling

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