LANGUAGES IN CONFLICT: MODELS FOR LEXICAL ACCESS BASED ON ORTOGRAPHIC INPUT IN BILINGUALS OR MULTILINGUALS AND THE EFFECT OF MULTILINGUALISM IN THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

Abstract

The phenomenon of bilingualism is the essential premise for translation. This paper presents contemporary cognitive models for written word recognition, based on previous experimental work with interlingual homographs. We will discuss studies on language conflict between two or more languages, and how these findings provide support for the language non-selective hypothesis for lexical access, which elucidates the impact of bilingualism in the processes of reading and translation. As a secondary goal and with a neuroscientific perspective, we will also describe the changes in the brain and mental processes that underlie the experience of bilingualism and multilingualism. Studies discussed here demonstrate an advantage in executive function (updating, inhibition and mental flexibility) as well as structural and functional changes in circuits, especially involving the prefrontal cortices bilaterally. These changes have been indicated as important protective factors in different situations of neural loss.