IULC Publications

Conceptual Transfer in the Interlingual Lexicon

By Scott Jarvis

In this work, Jarvis investigates the semantic and conceptual aspects of first language influence on referential word choice in a second language. Based in the mildly relativist, cognitive linguistic theory of Experientialism, the hypotheses guiding the study address three types of evidence needed to evaluate the importance of first language influence: intragroup homogeneity, intergroup heterogeneity, and congruity in learners' first-language and interlanguage performance. Tested through a comparison of the referential word choices of Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking learners of English, the results are interpreted as indicating that first language influence is pervasive in interlanguage lexical performance, though several factors combine to determine just how conspicuous it will be.

209 pages
$22.00

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