BiLex: A computational approach to the effects of age of acquisition and language exposure on bilingual lexical access

Lexical access in bilinguals can be modulated by multiple factors in their individual language learning history. We developed the BiLex computational model to examine the effects of L2 age of acquisition, language use and exposure on lexical retrieval in bilingual speakers. Twenty-eight Spanish-English bilinguals and five monolinguals recruited to test and validate the model were evaluated in their picture naming skills in each language and filled out a language use questionnaire. We examined whether BiLex can (i) simulate their naming performance in each language while taking into account their L2 age of acquisition, use and exposure to each language, and (ii) predict naming performance in other participants not used in model training. Our findings showed that BiLex could accurately simulate naming performance in bilinguals, suggesting that differences in L2 age of acquisition, language use and exposure can account for individual differences in bilingual lexical access.