Cognate Triggered Language Switching in Dutch-English Bilinguals: Inhibition and cognate facilitation in a cued language switching experiment

This thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2 proficiency or “L2 background” (i.e. how often participants use English, their L2, outside of an academic context) influence the effect of cognates. Thirty-three Dutch-English bilingual students were divided into four groups based on their L2 (English) proficiency and their “L2 background”. These participants performed a cued language switching task with pictures of both cognate and non-cognate words, which had to be named in English or Dutch in accordance to the color cue. The results of this research show: (1) cognate facilitation from L1 (Dutch) to L2 (English) but only in average proficiency participants; (2) switch direction influences the performance in the experiment, and possibly inhibits switches from L2-L1 but not in combination with cognates; (3) and similarly, the proficiency and...Show moreThis thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2 proficiency or “L2 background” (i.e. how often participants use English, their L2, outside of an academic context) influence the effect of cognates. Thirty-three Dutch-English bilingual students were divided into four groups based on their L2 (English) proficiency and their “L2 background”. These participants performed a cued language switching task with pictures of both cognate and non-cognate words, which had to be named in English or Dutch in accordance to the color cue. The results of this research show: (1) cognate facilitation from L1 (Dutch) to L2 (English) but only in average proficiency participants; (2) switch direction influences the performance in the experiment, and possibly inhibits switches from L2-L1 but not in combination with cognates; (3) and similarly, the proficiency and the L2 background of the participant may influence the performance, but not the cognate effect as there was not a significant interaction with the trigger variable. This thesis did not find clear evidence for cognate facilitation in both switching directions; there is only a cognate facilitation effect in the average proficiency group switching from Dutch to English. Cognate status did not have a significant interaction with the response time, whereas switch direction did have a significant interaction. This could suggest that switch direction is influences switching performance more than cognate status in L2 learners.Show less

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Cognate Triggered Language Switching in Dutch-English Bilinguals: Inhibition and cognate facilitation in a cued language switching experiment