Some things are always under construction.

Models (2)

L1, L2 and concepts: Hierarchical models

1.1. Overview of hierarchical models

A number of hierarchical models have been proposed to specify the connections between the cognitive representations of L1, L2 and concepts (see French & Jacquet, 2004, for overview). All hierarchical models are based on the idea of a three-store-model (two language stores and one conceptual store). The point that makes the different models out (a) is whether and how L1 and L2 are connected together and (b) whether and how each language is connected to the concepts. (Figure!)


The main implication from this line of research for the current work could be, that during early stages of second language learning, bilinguals access the concepts of words in L2 via their lexical links with the first language´(i.e. upon hearing a word in L2, one should translate it ones own langage in order to understand it). As the individual becomes more proficient, direct links from L2 to concepts are acquired (i.e. one needs no longer to go through L1 when one uses a foreign language)(Kroll & DeGroot, 1997).

Consequently, there are two main models corresponding to a high and a low levell of proficency (Figure x)


(Fig )

Pod kartinkita pishe:

pod Fig 1a:
For beginning foreign language learners, only words in the first language are linked to concepts. Hence, in order to understand a word in the foreign language, one should at first retrieve the corresponding word in the native language.

pod Fig 1b:
As the individual becomes more proficient, direct links to concepts are acquired (Fig.2). That means, one should no longer rely on translation equivalents in the native language in order to understand words in the second language.


These two models stand for two more or less extreme positions: the first is, that L2 is not at all connected to concepts at early stages of language acquisition. The second is, that purely lexical links between L1 and L2 should not exist and somehow vanish an a high L2-proficiency. However, it comes out to be that these two extreme positions are rarely found empirically in a pure form, but exist rather as tendencies in the mixed results about language processing. That's why Kroll & Stewart (1994) proposed their Revised Hierarchical Model (Fig. 3).


Fig. 3

According to it, both lexical and conceptual links exist in bulingual memory, but their relative strenghts differ. As can be seen on Fig. 3, there is an asymmetry in this model. L1 is larger than L2 because there are still more words bilinguals know in their first language (usually even at a high level of proficiency). Besides, L1 has stronger connections to concepts than L2. However, L2 is also connected to concepts, but the line is dashed, that means, not so strong connections. Lexical links are also active between the two languages in both directions, but L2 is stronger connected to L1 than reverse. The more proficient an individual becomes, the more direct links from L2 to concets are acquired, i.e. the asymmetry decreases gradually.


2.2. Implications of the hierachical models for the current study

Hierarchical models are designed primarily to account for the structure of bilingual memory. However, Harris et al. (2006) cite the Kroll & Stewart (1994) model, pointing out that it would be a useful framework for understanding the difference in the emotionality between L1 and L2. Specifically, they argue that "stronger connections to the conceptual store for L1 than for L2 mean that the stimuli in L1 will elicit a stronger emotional reaction.." (p.272). On the basis of this interpretation of the model lies the assumption that emotional reactions depend on or are part of the conceptual store. As neither Kroll & Stewart (1994), nor related works reviewing hierarchical models do explicitly state an exceptional position of emotions or affective contents, it is indeed one way to interpret their model, assuming that its predictions apply both for cognitions and for emotions. Further, Harris et al. mark that "an implication is that as proficiency in L2 increases, the subjective impression of emotionality for L2 will increase" (p.272). Thus, cognitive and emotional reactions would behave in an analogue manner, increasing with language proficiency.

In other words, if one wishes to apply hierarchical models to the phenomenon of greater emotionality in the native language, one should assume that emotions and semantic associations behave in the same way. An implication of such an intrapolation would be that the lack of emotionality would be due to the low level of proficiency. Thus, this model couldn't account for the lessened emnotionality reported by proficient bilinguals.

For the current study, we need a model that could make different predictions about conceptual representations and the affective contents of words. The current study's notion is that these two issues diverge: L2-words may posess rich and strong links to concepts - as it is the case in proficient bilinguals - and nonetheless evoke weaker emotional reactions. Or, to cut the long story short, we argue that emotions and cognitions is not one and the same thing.

posted by gargichka @ 9:24 AM