Processing effects of L1/L2 from L3 in translation recognition paradigm: an exploratory ERP study

The complex dynamics of multilingual word recognition and the importance of considering language distance in the learning sequence are pivotal for comprehending multilingual language processing mechanisms. This study investigates brain activation during a translation recognition task, wherein trilingual individuals activate translation equivalents from English (L3) in both their first language (L1) and second language (L2) during EEG recording. Participants were categorized into two groups: (1) native speakers of Kazakh (L1K) with Russian as L2 and English as L3, (2) native speakers of Russian (L1R) with Kazakh as L2 and English as L3. Behavioral results revealed differentiation only in the accuracy data. ERP findings demonstrate that upon word presentation, participants distinguish between congruent and incongruent words, particularly evidenced by the modulation of the N400 component. Notably, the N400 amplitude effect was observed in the L1K and L1R groups for recognizing incongruent L1 and L2 words. These findings suggest that during L3 processing, trilinguals have access to previously acquired linguistic knowledge, albeit the interactivity level in the multilingual language system varies. Given the modest and imbalanced sample size, the study should be regarded as exploratory, providing the first ERP evidence from Kazakh-Russian-English trilinguals.