Covert bilingual language activation through cognate word processing: An eye-tracking study

The present study examined effects of cross-linguistic overlap and language proficiency on bilingual parallel language activation. Recognition of cognates (e.g., English hen, German Henne) was compared to recognition of non-cognates (e.g., English bike, German Fahrrad) in English-German bilinguals, German-English bilinguals, and monolinguals. In an eye-tracking paradigm, participants identified English cognate and non-cognate targets in picture displays that also contained German competitors with shared phonological onsets. The duration of phonological overlap between targets and competitors was manipulated. English-German bilinguals co-activated German competitors of cognate targets, while German-English bilinguals co-activated German competitors of non-cognate targets, as well as German competitors of cognate targets with high phonological overlap. These results suggest that proficiency in target and non-target languages, as well as cross-linguistic overlap, determine the extent of bilinguals ’ parallel language activation