Abstract
The bilingual language control literature generally assumes that cross-language interference resolution relies on inhibition of the non-target language. A similar approach has been taken in the bidialectal language control literature. However, there is little evidence along these lines for proactive language control, which entails a control process that is implemented as an anticipation of any cross-language interference. To further investigate the possibility of proactive inhibitory control, we examined the effect of language variety preparation time, by manipulating the cue-to-stimulus interval, on parallel language activation, by manipulating cognate status. If proactive language control relies on inhibition, one would expect less parallel language activation (i.e., a smaller cognate facilitation effect) with increased proactive inhibitory control (i.e., a long cue-to-stimulus interval). This was not the case with either bilinguals or bidialectals. So, the current study does not provide evidence for proactive inhibitory control during bilingual and bidialectal language production.
Highlights
A prominent assumption regarding bilingual language control, which entails a process that reduces cross-language interference during bilingual language processing and increases the chances of selecting words in the target language, is that it relies on inhibition of the non-target language (e.g., [1,2,3])
As can be seen in a recent review on proactive language control [10], which is a control process implemented as an anticipation of any cross-language interference, most measures of proactive language control are explained with inhibition, but very little direct evidence has been put forward in favor of proactive language control mainly relying on inhibition
reaction time (RT) were analyzed using a mixed-effect linear model with cue-to-stimulus interval (CSI) Length (No vs. Long CSI), Variety (Dutch vs. English), Cognate Status, and all interactions between these factors as centered fixed effects, and random effects of Participants and Items. This model converged and yielded a main effect of CSI Length, with slower responses in the No CSI condition (1131.0 ms) than in the Long CSI condition (1092.6 ms; see Table 2). This pattern is in line with many, but not all (e.g., [25]), bilingual studies that investigated the effect of CSI in mixed language blocks (e.g., [36,43]), and could be taken as evidence that increased proactive language control leads to better performance
Summary
A prominent assumption regarding bilingual language control, which entails a process that reduces cross-language interference during bilingual language processing and increases the chances of selecting words in the target language, is that it relies on inhibition of the non-target language (e.g., [1,2,3]). While Wodniecka et al [20] did find a larger negativity in the N2 time window for the second single language block after previously producing in another language, this was interpreted in terms of the N300 (i.e., a negative-going peak typically found around 250–400 ms that has been linked to difficult to interpret pictures and relatedness to the previous stimulus; e.g., [23,24]), not the N2 These ERP studies do not provide unequivocal evidence in line with the notion of proactive language control relying on inhibition. If proactive language control, instigated during the CSI, relies on inhibition, one would expect a decrease of the cognate facilitation effect This decrease would be more pronounced with a long interval between the cue and picture, since more proactive inhibitory control could be implemented in this condition. Several studies have provided evidence for reactive inhibitory control during bidialectal language production, through asymmetrical switch costs (i.e., larger costs for switching to the more dominant variant than to the less dominant variant; [7,8,9]), but very little research has gone into proactive inhibitory control with bidialectals
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