Conceptual transfer: Crosslinguistic effects in categorization and construal

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60 Scopus citations

Abstract

Research on the relationship between language and cognition in bilinguals has often focused on general effects that are common to bilinguals of all language backgrounds, such as the positive effects of bilingualism in various areas of cognitive development (e.g., Bialystok, 2005; Karmiloff-Smith, 1992). However, there are also language-specific effects in the relationship between language and cognition in bilinguals that emerge in the form of cross-linguistic influence and, in many cases, these cross-linguistic effects do not appear to be confined to purely linguistic (e.g., phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic) phenomena. For example, bilinguals choice of words for referring to objects and actions, as well as their choice of syntactic and discursive structures for referring to events and situations, often reflect ways of conveying meaning and intentions that are specific to particular language backgrounds.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1-8
Number of pages8
JournalBilingualism
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • conceptual transfer
  • cross-linguistic influence
  • transfer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

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