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Conceptual Representation Changes in Indonesian-English Bilinguals
Andree Hartanto1,2, Lidia Suárez3
1School of Arts & Social Sciences, James Cook University, 149 Sims Drive, Singapore, 387380, Singapore. andreeh.2014@phdps.smu.edu.sg.
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|October 8, 2015
Summary
Bilinguals show dynamic conceptual representations. Higher English proficiency in Indonesian-English speakers reduces differences between gender-specific and ambiguous words, approaching native-like conceptualization.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Bilingualism influences cognitive processes, including conceptual representation.
- Understanding how language proficiency impacts conceptual structures is crucial for psycholinguistics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in conceptual representations in Indonesian-English bilinguals.
- To examine the role of English language proficiency in shaping conceptual structures.
- To compare conceptual representations between Indonesian-English and English-dominant bilinguals.
Main Methods:
- A gender decision task was administered to participants using English words.
- Words were categorized as gender-specific or gender-ambiguous based on conceptual features in English and Indonesian.
- Response latencies were measured to assess conceptual processing differences.
Main Results:
- Indonesian-English bilinguals responded faster to gender-specific words than gender-ambiguous words.
- This difference diminished with increasing English proficiency among Indonesian-English bilinguals.
- English-dominant bilinguals showed similar response times for both word types.
Conclusions:
- Conceptual representations in bilinguals are dynamic and influenced by language proficiency.
- Higher proficiency in a second language leads to more native-like conceptual representations.
- The findings support the notion that language shapes thought and conceptualization.
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