The effect of executive control ability on the comprehension of second language metaphor

Abstract

Aims: The present study examined the effect of language-related executive control ability on second language (L2) metaphor comprehension in L2 learners. Design: All participants were Chinese–English bilinguals. The Stroop task was used to measure language-related executive control ability. Three types of sentences were used as stimulus materials, including familiar metaphoric sentences, unfamiliar metaphoric sentences and literal sentences. Participants were asked to determine whether the sentence presented was metaphoric or not. Data and analysis: Both response latencies and accuracy scores were obtained. Linear mixed effect model was used for statistical analysis. Findings: The effect of executive control ability on L2 metaphor comprehension is modulated by the familiarity of the metaphor. Specifically, for familiar metaphor sentences, the response time of participants with higher executive control ability was significantly faster than those with lower executive control ability. However, for the unfamiliar metaphor sentences and literal sentences, the effect of executive control ability was not significant. Originality: This study directly explored the impact of language-related executive control on metaphor comprehension in L2 learners. Significance/Implications: Our results found that the Predication Model is also applicable to L2 learners.