First-language Influence on the Formation of Category Prototype in a Foreign Language(Part I,<Special Issue>Towards the Next Decade) :

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  • First-language Influence on the Formation of Category Prototype in a Foreign Language
  • First-language Influence on the Formation of Category Prototype in a Foreign Language

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The relation between the first language (L1) and the second language (L2) has been most commonly discussed in light of whether and to what extent L1 knowledge influences L2 learning. A question, however, should be addressed in light of what and in what ways L1 influence is manifested, because individuals who use more than one language have a distinct compound state of mind, which is not equivalent to two monolingual states. This study investigated what role L1 lexical knowledge plays in shaping category prototypes in a foreign language (FL). Using a set of 67 video clips showing a range of cutting/breaking actions, we looked at how Japanese-speaking learners of English apply the cutting/breaking verb break or kowasu, and how their extension patterns are consistent with English-speaking monolinguals'. Results showed that Japanese-speaking learners of English extended the verb differently from monolingual speakers of either English or Japanese: although they mainly formed their linguistic category in the L1-based fashion, they acquired some native-like knowledge on the category prototype in an FL. These findings suggest that the construction of category prototypes in an FL is a dynamic phenomenon that may be subject to both L1 and FL influence.

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