Current research in bilingualism and its implications for Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies

Authors

  • John W. Schwieter Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
  • Julia Festman Pedagogical University Tyrol
  • Aline Ferreira University of California, Santa Barbara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v19i0.531

Keywords:

bilingualism, bilingual advantage, bilingual lexical access, inhibitory control, executive functioning

Abstract

This article discusses research in the field of bilingualism that has the potential to inform the related, albeit disconnected, field of Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies (CTIS). It reviews issues such as lexical access and the multilingual mental lexicon, inhibitory control and the “bilingual advantage debate”. This debate refers to the question whether bilingualism leads to cognitive advantages that monolinguals do not develop. Although these claims have not been fully tested in translators and interpreters – both novice and advanced professionals – it is plausible that if there are indeed cognitive advantages that arise from managing “two languages in one mind”, such benefits may correlate with neural and cognitive changes due to the training, accumulated experience and expertise of translators and interpreters. These topics merit inclusion in the expanding set of prominent research themes in CTIS. Future research in CTIS can use findings from bilingualism and the bilingual advantage debate to account for the peculiarities of translational cognition.

References

References

Abutalebi, J., & Green, D. (2007). Bilingual language production: The neurocognition of language representation and control. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 20(3), 242–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2006.10.003

Alves, F. (Ed.). (2003). Triangulating translation: Perspectives in process oriented research. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.45

Babcock, L., Capizzi, M., Arbula, S., & Vallesi, A. (2017). Short-term memory improvement after simultaneous interpretation training. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 1(3), 254–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-017-0011-x

Babcock, L., & Vallesi, A. (2017). Are simultaneous interpreters expert bilinguals, unique bilinguals, or both? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 20(2), 403–417. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728915000735

Bajo Molina, M., Padilla Adamuz, F., & Padilla Benítez, P. (2000). Comprehension processes in simultaneous interpreting. In A. Chesterman, N. Gallardo San Salvador, & Y. Gambier (Eds.), Translation in context (pp. 127–142). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.39.15baj

Becker, M., Schubert, T., Strobach, T., Gallinat, J., & Kühn, S. (2016). Simultaneous interpreters vs. professional multilingual controls: Group differences in cognitive control as well as brain structure and function. NeuroImage, 134, 250–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.03.079

Beeby, A. (2009). Directionality. In M. Baker & G. Saldanha (Eds.), The Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (pp. 84–88). Routledge.

Bialystok, E. (2017). The bilingual adaptation: How minds accommodate experience. Psychological Bulletin, 143, 233-262. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000099

Christoffels, I., de Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. (2006). Memory and language skills in simultaneous interpreters: The role of expertise and language proficiency. Journal of Memory and Language, 54(3), 324–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2005.12.004

Czapka, S., Klassert, A., & Festman, J. (2019). Executive functions and language: Their differential influence on mono- vs. multilingual spelling in primary school. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 97. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00097

Czapka, S., Wotschack, C., Klassert, A., & Festman, J. (2020). A path to the bilingual advantage: Pairwise matching of individuals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(2), 344–354. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000166

de Bruin, A. (2019). Not all bilinguals are the same: A call for more detailed assessments and descriptions of bilingual experiences. Behavioral Sciences, 9(3), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9030033

de Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. (Eds.). (1997). Tutorials in bilingualism: Psycholinguistic perspectives. Lawrence Erlbaum.

De Houwer, A., & Ortega, L. (2018). The Cambridge handbook of bilingualism. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316831922

Dijkstra, T. (2005). Bilingual visual word recognition and lexical access. In J. Kroll & A. de Groot (Eds.), Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches (pp. 179–201). Oxford University Press.

Dijkstra, T., & Van Heuven, W. (2002). The architecture of the bilingual word recognition system: From identification to decision. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 5(3), 175–197. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728902003012

Dong, Y., & Liu, Y. (2016). Classes in translating and interpreting produce differential gains in switching and updating. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, Article 1297. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01297

Dong, Y., Liu, Y., & Cai, R. (2018). How does consecutive interpreting training influence working memory: A longitudinal study of potential links between the two. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 875. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00875

Dunn, A., & Fox Tree, J. (2014). More on language mode. International Journal of Bilingualism, 18(6), 605–613. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006912454509

Ferreira, A., Gottardo, A., & Schwieter, J. W. (2018). Decision-making processes in direct and inverse translation through retrospective protocols. Translation, Cognition & Behavior, 1(1), 98–118. https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00005.fer

Ferreira, A., & Schwieter, J. W. (Eds.). (2015). Psycholinguistic and cognitive inquiries into translation and interpreting. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.115

Ferreira, A., & Schwieter, J. W. (2017). Directionality in translation. In J. W. Schwieter & A. Ferreira (Eds.), The handbook of translation and cognition (pp. 90–105). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119241485.ch5

Ferreira, A., & Schwieter, J. W. (Eds.). (In press). The Routledge handbook of translation, interpreting, and bilingualism. Routledge.

Ferreira, A., Schwieter, J. W., Gottardo, A., & Jones, J. (2016). Cognitive effort in direct and inverse translation performance: Insight from eye-tracking technology. Cadernos de Tradução, 36(3), 60–80. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2016v36n3p60

Festman, J. (2012). Language control abilities of late bilinguals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15(3), 580–593. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728911000344

Festman, J., & Mosca, M. (2016). Influence of preparation time on language control. In J. W. Schwieter (Ed.), Cognitive control and consequences of multilingualism (pp. 145–171). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.2.07fes

Festman, J., & Münte, T. (2012). Cognitive control in Russian–German bilinguals. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, Article 115. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00115

Festman, J., Rodriguez-Fornells, A., & Münte, T. (2010). Individual differences in control of language interference in late bilinguals are mainly related to general executive abilities. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6, Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-6-5

García, A. M. (2014). The interpreter advantage hypothesis: Preliminary data patterns and empirically motivated questions. Translation and Interpreting Studies, 9(2), 219–238. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.9.2.04gar

Gile, D. (2005). Directionality in conference interpreting: A cognitive view. In R. Godijns & M. Hinderdael (Eds.), Directionality in interpreting the ‘retour’ or the native? (pp. 9–26). Communication & Cognition.

Green, D. W. (1998). Mental control of the bilingual lexico-semantic system. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 1(2), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728998000133

Green, D. W., & Abutalebi, J. (2013). Language control in bilinguals: The adaptive control hypothesis. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 25(5), 515–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2013.796377

Grosjean, F. (2001). The bilingual’s language modes. In J. Nicol (Ed.), One mind, two languages: Bilingual language processing (pp. 1–22). Blackwell.

Hagemann, S. (2019). Directionality in translation and revision teaching: A case study of an A–B teacher working with B–A students. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 13(1), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2018.1540742

Henrard, S., & van Daele, A. (2017). Different bilingual experiences might modulate executive tasks advantages: Comparative analysis between monolinguals, translators, and interpreters. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 1870. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01870

Hiltunen, S., Pääkkönen, R., Vik, G.-V., & Krause, C. (2014). On interpreters’ working memory and executive control. International Journal of Bilingualism, 20(3), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006914554406

Hunziker Heeb, A. (2016). Professional translators’ self-concepts and directionality: Indications from translation process research. The Journal of Specialized Translation, 25, 74–88.

International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters. (2015). Translation into a non-native language. https://www.iapti.org/files/surveys/2/IAPTI_non-native_report.pdf

Kroll, J., Dussias, P., Bogulski, C., & Valdes-Kroff, J. (2012). Juggling two languages in one mind: What bilinguals tell us about language processing and its consequences for cognition. In B. Ross (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation (pp. 229–262). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394393-4.00007-8

Kroll, J., & de Groot, A. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches. Oxford University Press.

Lehtonen, M., Soveri, A., Laine, A., Järvenpää, J., de Bruin, A., & Antfolk, J. (2018). Is bilingualism associated with enhanced executive functioning in adults?: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 144(4), 394–425. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000142

Libben, M. (2017). Non-selective language activation and bilingualism as the default mental lexicon. In M. Libben, M. Goral, & G. Libben (Eds.), Bilingualism: A framework for understanding the mental lexicon (pp. 103–122). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.6.05lib

Libben, G., & Schwieter, J. W. (2019). Lexical organization and reorganization in the multilingual mind. In J. W. Schwieter & M. Paradis (Eds.), The handbook of the neuroscience of multilingualism (pp. 297–312). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119387725.ch14

Marmaridou, A. S. S. (1996). Directionality in translation processes and practices. Target, 8(1), 49–73. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.8.1.04mar

Morales, J., Padilla, F., Gómez-Ariza, C., & Bajo, M. (2015). Simultaneous interpretation selectively influences working memory and attentional networks. Acta Psychologica, 155, 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.12.004

Muñoz Martín, R. (Ed.). (2016). Reembedding translation process research. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.128

Norman, D., & Shallice, T. (1986). Attention to action: Willed and automatic control of behavior. In R. J. Davidson, G. E. Schwartz, & D. Shapiro (Eds.), Consciousness and self-regulation (Vol. 4, pp. 1–18). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0629-1_1

O’Brien, S. (Ed.). (2011). Cognitive explorations of translation. Continuum International Publishing Group.

Paap, K. (2019). The bilingual advantage debate: Quantity and quality of evidence. In J. W. Schwieter & M. Paradis (Eds.), The Handbook of the neuroscience of multilingualism (pp. 701–735). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119387725.ch34

Paap, K., Mason, L., Zimiga, B., Ayala-Silva, Y., & Frost, M. (2020). The alchemy of confirmation bias transmutes expectations into bilingual advantages: A tale of two new meta-analyses. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73(8), 1290–1299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021819900098

Peal, E., & Lambert, W. (1962). The relation of bilingualism to intelligence. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 76(27), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093840

Pöchhacker, F. (2011a). Consecutive interpreting. In K. Malmkjær & K. Windle (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of translation studies (pp. 201–209). Oxford University Press.

Pöchhacker, F. (2011b). Simultaneous interpreting. In K. Malmkjær & K. Windle (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of translation studies (pp. 189–200). Oxford University Press.

Pokorn, N. (2005). Challenging the traditional axioms: Translation into a non-mother tongue. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.62

Rojo, A., & Ibarretxe-Antuñano, I. (2013). Cognitive linguistics and translation: Advances in some theoretical models and applications. De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110302943

Schwieter, J. W. (Ed.). (2015). The Cambridge handbook of bilingual processing. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107447257

Schwieter, J. W., & Ferreira, A. (Eds.). (2014). The development of translation competence: Theories and methodologies from psycholinguistics and cognitive science. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Schwieter, J. W., & Ferreira, A. (2017a). Bilingualism in cognitive translation and interpreting studies. In J. W. Schwieter & A. Ferreira (Eds.), The handbook of translation and cognition (pp. 144–164). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119241485.ch8

Schwieter, J. W., & Ferreira, A. (Eds.). (2017b). The handbook of translation and cognition. Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119241485

Schwieter, J. W., & Ferreira, A. (2018). Bilingualism, translation, and interpreting. In K. Malmkjær (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of translation studies and linguistics (pp. 251–266). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315692845-17

Schwieter, J. W., & Paradis, M. (Eds.). (2019). The handbook of the neuroscience of multilingualism. Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119387725

Shreve, G., & Angelone, E. (Eds.). (2010). Translation and cognition. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/ata.xv

Strobach, T., Becker, M., Schubert, T., & Kühn, S. (2015). Better dual-task processing in simultaneous interpreters. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, Article 1590. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01590

Vaid, J., & Meuter, R. (2017). Languages without borders: Reframing the study of the bilingual mental lexicon. In M. Libben, M. Goral, & G. Libben (Eds.), Bilingualism: A framework for understanding the mental lexicon (pp. 8–39). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.6.01vai

van den Noort, M., Vermeire, K., Bosch, P., Staudte, H., Krajenbrink, T., Jaswetz, L., Struys, E., Yeo, S., Barisch, P., Perriard, B., Lee, S., & Lim, S. (2019). A systematic review on the possible relationship between bilingualism, cognitive decline, and the onset of dementia. Behavioral Sciences, 9(7), Article 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9070081

Wang, B. (2011). Translation practices and the issue of directionality in China. Meta, 56(4), 896–914. https://doi.org/10.7202/1011259ar

Yu, Z., & Schwieter, J. W. (2018). Recognizing the effects of language mode on the cognitive advantages of bilingualism. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 366. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00366

Yudes, C., Macizo, P., & Bajo, T. (2011). The influence of expertise in simultaneous interpreting on non-verbal executive processes. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, Article 309. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00309

Zahedi, S. (2013). L2 translation at the periphery: A meta-analysis of current views on translation directionality. TranscUlturAl: A Journal of Translation and Cultural Studies, 5(1–2), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.21992/T9QD0X

Zheng, B., Báez, S., Su, L., Xiang, X., Weis, S., Ibáñez, A., & García, A. M. (2020). Semantic and attentional networks in bilingual processing: fMRI connectivity signatures of translation directionality. Brain and Cognition, 143, Article 105584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105584

Downloads

Published

20-01-2021

How to Cite

Schwieter, J. W., Festman, J., & Ferreira, A. (2021). Current research in bilingualism and its implications for Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies. Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series – Themes in Translation Studies, 19. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v19i0.531