Cognate Facilitation and False-Friend Inhibition in Spanish-Speaking Dual-Language Learners' Lexical Processing of English

Purpose: The present study investigated linguistic factors that influence lexical processing in dual-language learner (DLL) children. Method: A total of 134 children—66 DLL children and 68 monolingual classmates in Grades 2–6—completed a battery of standardized and experimental measures. In the cross-linguistic task, children selected one of three words that matched a picture. Cross-linguistic trials included either cognate targets or false-friend foils. Results: Relative to baseline, DLL children's performance was affected by the presence of cognate targets but not of false-friend foils. However, false-friend inhibition was mitigated by Spanish proficiency. Conclusions: DLL children's knowledge of multiple languages makes word reading a qualitatively different process relative to that of monolinguals. The effect of cross-linguistic activation on DLL children's English performance is discussed. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31378693