The impact of bilingualism on the acquisition of an additional language: Evidence from lexical knowledge, lexical fluency, and (lexical) cross-linguistic influence

Abstract

Aims: The aim of the present paper is to look into the impact of bilingualism on lexical knowledge, lexical fluency, and lexical cross-linguistic influence (CLI). Design and methodology: To that end, Spanish monolingual (86) and Spanish–Basque bilingual (87) EFL learners were tested on lexical knowledge, lexical fluency, and (lexical) CLI by means of a task of lexical availability. Data were extracted from written sources. Data and analysis: Numerous responses were produced and instances of lexical CLI were examined and compared between monolingual and bilingual learners. Findings/Conclusions: Results point to a slight bilingual advantage in most of the measures tested but are not strong enough to reach statistical significance. Our results concur with previous studies in showing slight benefits for bilingual versus monolingual learners. Typological distance between Basque and English and the homogenization effect of schooling are thought to discard the potential benefits of bilingualism. Originality: This study shows that bilinguals are slightly better at lexical knowledge than monolingual counterparts. The comparisons of adolescent monolingual and bilingual learners learning an L3 under the same conditions are not frequent, neither is the examination of instances of lexical CLI. This is the main asset of the present study. Significance/implications: Our results suggest that teachers should encourage cross-linguistic comparison and positive lexical transfer through an increase in the use of cognates, since these can help then enhance and improve their lexical knowledge. Limitations: It is important to take into account that this study only looks at one specific aspect of lexical knowledge, other factors might also be influencing bilingual versus monolingual performance.