Word Comprehension in a Second Language: A Direct or an Indirect Route to Meaning?

Abstract

For bilingual persons, comprehension of a word in a second language (L2 word) could be achieved via an indirect route, in which the L2 word is first translated into the first language (L1) before meaning is accessed, or via a direct route, in which an L2 word directly activates its meaning. To test these two accounts, proficient Dutch-English bilinguals were asked to translate and to categorize L2 words of high and low familiarity. These L2 words were accompanied by a Dutch context word that was either phonologically related or unrelated to its Dutch translation equivalent. The results showed a clear phonological facilitation effect in the translation task but no phonological facilitation in the categorization task. This result was taken as evidence for a "direct route" from the L2 word to its meaning.