Concepts

Several studies have investigated if bilinguals and monolinguals have different concepts in their minds. Concepts that have been investigated include, shape and material (Imai, & Gentner, 1997; Cook, Bassetti, Kasai, Sasaki, Takahashi, 2006), colour boundaries (Davidoff, Davies, & Roberson, 1999) and characteristics of inanimate objects (Boroditsky, Schmidt, & Phillips, 2003).

One study examined the concepts of Japanese speakers – whether they are affected or modified by the acquisition of English as an L2, particularly for shape and material (Cook, Bassetti, Kasai, Sasaki, Takahashi, 2006). The hypothesis was that Japanese L1 speakers would categorise shape and material differently, depending on whether they had English as an L2. The things they had to categorise includes complex objects, which are factory-made artefacts having complex shapes and specific functions (e.g., a ceramic lemon squeezer); simple objects – simple shapes made out of a solid material (e.g., a pyramid made out of cork) and substances, that is, non-solid materials arranged in a simple shape (e.g. Nivea cream laid in a reverse C shape).

The hypothesis was supported by findings from the study: Japanese speakers with English as an L2 had a stronger bias for shapes over materials in the classification of complex objects and a stronger bias for materials in the classification of simple objects and substances. Simple objects were also construed differently by speakers of different languages, reinforcing the findings from Imai and Gentner’s study. In addition, the study suggests that language specific mass or count distinctions result in differences in the classification of simple objects, suggesting an intricate link between language and concepts. Findings support the multi-competence hypothesis as well, which refers to the hypothesis that L2 users possess a new conceptual system, distinct from L1 users. This new conceptual system is one whereby elements from both languages of the L2 user are integrated. Hence, the Japanese-English L2 users’ concepts of shapes and materials seem to be restructured due to L2 acquisition.

However, it is important to note that findings from this study has limitations due to the chicken-and-egg conundrum. Though the study presented positive findings on the link between L2 and concepts, it was not clear whether a linguistic device was created by a pre-existing concept to represent it, or whether it was the linguistic device that creates the concept. Hence, future studies ought to clarify this issue, while reinforcing the findings of this study.

In addition, another way in which the L2 could impact one’s cognitive concepts is in the aspect of metalinguistic awareness. Studies have shown that learning a second language helps in increasing metalinguistic awareness as it allows one to experience more than one language. As such, learners of second language have increased ability to compare one language system with another. They are more likely to understand the (arbitrary, rather than fixed) relationship between the form of a word and its meaning (Fernandez, 2007). This helps learners become more perceptive and analytical in a language, increasing their flexibility when dealing with foreign languages.

These findings regarding effect of L2 acquisition on cognitive concepts were significant due to the potential impact on L2 users. If further studies continue to reinforce these findings, it would translate into different cognition models for L2 users and possibly change the perceptions of the relationship between language and cognition (Cook et al., 2006).

Conflict Resolution

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