Aims and objectives:

The study provides new insights into how bilingual speakers process semantically complex novel meanings in their native (L1) and non-native language (L2).

Methodology:

The study employs an EEG method with a semantic decision task to novel nominal metaphors, novel similes, as well as literal and anomalous sentences presented in participants’ L1 and L2.

Data and analysis:

In total, 29 native speakers of Polish (L1) who were highly proficient in English (L2) took part in the study. The collected EEG signal was analyzed in terms of an event-related potential analysis. The statistical analyses were based on behavioral data (reaction times and accuracy rates) as well as mean amplitudes for the four conditions in the two languages within the N400 and LPC time windows.

Findings:

The results revealed the N400 effect of utterance type modulated by language nativeness, where the brainwaves for anomalous sentences, novel nominal metaphors, and novel similes converged in L2, while in L1 a graded effect was observed from anomalous sentences to novel nominal metaphors, novel similes and literal sentences. In contrast, within the late time window, a more pronounced sustained negativity to novel nominal metaphors than novel similes was observed in both languages, thus indicating that meaning integration mechanisms might be of similar automaticity in L1 and L2 when bilingual speakers are highly proficient in their L2. Altogether, the present results point to a more taxing mechanisms involved in lexico-semantic access in L2 than L1, yet such an increased effort seems to be resolved within the meaning integration phase.

Originality:

The findings present novel insights into how bilinguals construct new unfamiliar meanings and show how and when cognitive mechanisms engaged in this process are modulated by language nativeness.

Significance:

The study might provide crucial implications for further research on bilingual semantic processing as well as human creativity.

中文翻译：

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隐喻就像镜头：双语中新颖意义处理的电生理联系

目的和目标：

这项研究提供了新的见解，说明双语者如何以母语（L1）和非母语（L2）处理语义复杂的新颖含义。

方法：

这项研究采用了带有语义决策任务的EEG方法来对参与者的L1和L2中出现的新颖的标称隐喻，新颖的比喻以及直译和反常句子进行分析。

数据与分析：

共有29位波兰语（L1）的母语为英语（L2）的母语人士参加了这项研究。根据事件相关电位分析对收集到的脑电信号进行了分析。统计分析基于行为数据（反应时间和准确率）以及两种语言在N400和LPC时间窗口内四种语言的平均振幅。

发现：

结果揭示了语言类型调节的发声类型的N400效应，其中异常句子，新颖的标称隐喻和新颖的比喻的脑电波在L2中汇聚，而在L1中，观察到从异常句子到新颖的名义隐喻，新颖的比喻的分级效果。和文字句子。相反，在较晚的时间范围内，在两种语言中观察到的比新的明喻对新的名义隐喻的持续消极作用更为明显，因此表明当双语者精通其语言时，意思整合机制在L1和L2中可能具有相似的自动性。 L2。总的来说，目前的结果表明，与L1相比，L2中的词汇语义访问涉及更多的收费机制，但这种增加的努力似乎已在意义整合阶段得到解决。

独创性：

这些发现提供了关于双语者如何构造新的陌生含义的新颖见解，并显示了语言本地性如何以及何时使参与这一过程的认知机制受到调节。

意义：

该研究可能为进一步研究双语语义处理以及人类创造力提供重要的启示。