Masked repetition and translation priming in second language learners: A window on the time-course of form and meaning activation using ERPs

Abstract

Event-related potentials (ERPs) and masked translation priming served to examine the time-course of form and meaning activation during word recognition in second language learners. Targets were repetitions of, translations of, or were unrelated to the immediately preceding prime. In Experiment 1 all targets were in the participants' L2. In Experiment 2 all targets were in the participants' L1. In Exp 1 both within-language repetition and L1-L2 translation priming produced effects on the N250 component and the N400 component. In Experiment 2 only within-language repetition produced N250 effects, while both types of priming produced N400 effects. These results suggest rapid involvement of semantic representations during on-going form-level processing of printed words, and an absence of facilitatory connections between the form representations of non-cognate translation equivalents in L2 learners. The implications for bilingual theories of word processing are discussed. Copyright © 2009 Society for Psychophysiological Research.