Embodied bilingual language

Embodied Bilingual Language

Embodied bilingual language, also known as L2 embodiment, is the idea that people mentally stimulate their actions, perceptions, and emotions when speaking and understanding a second language as with their first language. It is closely related to embodied cognition and embodied language processing, both of which only refer to native language thinking and speaking.

Overview

Embodied bilingual language refers to the role second language learning plays in embodied cognition, which proposes that the way the body interacts with its environment influences the way a person thinks or creates mental images.

Embodied cognition theory assumes that embodiment occurs automatically and in a person’s native tongue. Embodied theories of language posit that word meaning is grounded in mental representations of action, perception, and emotion. Embodied bilingual language presupposes that this embodied cognition can also take place in language that was learned later in life, outside of a child’s critical period of learning a language. In embodied bilingual language, a second language can too connect cognition and physical body movements.

For example, in first language (L1) embodiment, research shows that words such as “punch” and “throw” stimulate the parts of the motor cortex that activate and control arm and hand motions. Embodied language assumes that comprehension of language requires the mental simulation, or imagination, of the subject and action of a sentence that is being processed and understood. This illustrates language that describes motor actions activates motor systems in the brain, but only when the words provide literal meaning as opposed to figurative meaning. Embodied theories propose that understanding sentences that describe concrete actions involves mentally simulating or imagining them. Following L1 embodiment, L2 embodiment supposes that the words “punch” and “throw” in a second language will also stimulate the same parts of the motor cortex as does the first language words.

Theory

Research shows that embodiment is present in native language processing, and if embodiment occurs in first language processing, then embodiment should also occur in second language processing. How second language is embodied compared to first language is still a topic of discussion. Currently, there are no known theories or models that attain to the presence or absence of embodiment in second language processing, but there are bilingual processing models that can lead to differing hypotheses of embodiment effects in second language.

NEEDS DIAGRAMS/FIGURES

Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM)

File:Kroll and Stewart's RHM Model.png

Lexical associations from L2 to L1 are stronger than that of L1 to L2. While the link from L1 to conceptual memory is stronger than the link from L2 to conceptual memory, the two conceptual links are nevertheless bidirectional.

Designed by Kroll and Stewart in 1994 and revised by Kroll and Tokowicz in 2001, the Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM) supposes that lexical connections are stronger from L2 to L1 than from L1 to L2. In other words, translating a word from second language to first language occurs faster than vice versa. However, while word meanings might be delayed when translating from native language to second language, the semantics of the information is still very well maintained. What this means in embodied bilingual language is that there should be no difference in embodiment effects between first language processing and second language processing. Meanings found in first language action, perception, and emotion will transfer equally in second language processing.

Extended Bilingual Interactive Activation (BIA+) Model

The BIA+ model is a revised version of the BIA model, which was developed by Djkstra and Van Heuven in 1998. According to this model of bilingual lexical processing, the brain activates both languages when recognizing a word. Rather than selecting a single language, lexical access, or the sound-meaning connections of a language, is non-selective across languages. The BIA+ model suggests that orthographic representations activate first, followed by their associated phonological and semantic representations. The speeds of these activations depend on frequency of use of the language. Given this proposition, if second language is used less often than first language, second language activation occurs more slowly than first language activation. However, the BIA+ model argues that these differences in activation time are miniscule.

Similar to the RHM, the BIA+ model says that while there are slight differences in time when accessing word meanings in both first and second languages, the semantic representations are maintained. Thus, in terms of embodiment, the BIA+ model would suggest that embodiment effects, too, are maintained across native and second language processing.

Sense Model

The Sense Model, developed by Finkbeiner in 2004, takes a different position from the previously stated models. The Sense Model supposes that native language words are associated with a greater number of semantic senses than second language words. As a result, the Sense Model argues that semantic representations in second language are “less rich” than in those in native language. If this is the case in embodied bilingual language, then embodiment in second language processing may be minimal or even completely lacking at all.

Action

Non-Selective Motor Systems

Embodied bilingual processing is rooted in motor processing because research shows that the motor cortex activates during language processing. In first language processing, for example, leg-related words like “kick” and “run” stimulated the part of the motor cortex that controls leg motions. In essence, language that describes motor actions activates motor systems in the brain. If this holds true for all languages, then the processing that occurs when understanding and using a second language must also activate motor regions of the brain, just as native language processing does.

Research shows that both first and second language action words rely on the motor cortex for language processing, strengthening the claim that the motor cortex is necessary for action language processing. Action language processing has direct access to semantic motor representations in both languages. This is because second language motor systems call on and activates information from fist language motor systems. Initially, the semantic representations stimulated by first language are stronger than that of second language. But with more experience and exposure to the second language, the stronger sensorimotor involvement and second language comprehension becomes. The more often a second language is used, the stronger the neural networks and associations become, and thus semantic representations in second language become just as present as for first language.

Perception

Grounded or embodied cognition is a theoretical view that assumes knowledge is represented in the mind as modal representations, which are memories of perceptual, motor, and affective experiences (e.g., Barsalou, 1999; 2008). Perceptual features include orientation, location, visibility conditions, motion, movement direction, and action direction. All of these perceptual features are necessary for comprehending language. If this is true for first language, then this must also be true for second language processing (Bergen, 2010).

These perceptual features occur when imagining an action, recalling an action, and observing various sensory information (De Grawe). In addition to motor brain areas, somatosensory areas, which deal with touch and physical awareness, are also activated. This sensory information contributes to formulating the mental simulation as processed by language comprehension.

Finally, research shows that embodied bilingual language processing not only activates the perceptual simulation of first and second language meanings, this activation is automatic.

Emotion

Embodied bilingual language also assumes that comprehension of language activates parts of the brain that correspond with emotion. Research finds that emotion words are embedded in a rich semantic network (Pavlenko, 2008). Given this information, emotion is better perceived in first language because linguistic development coincides with conceptual development and development of emotional regulation systems. Linguistic conditioning spreads to phonologically and semantically related words of the same language, but not to translation equivalents of another language.