Theories of embodied cognition propose that online language comprehension recruits mental simulations. Embodied mental simulation refers to the ability to mentally recreate perceptual-motor experiences in the absence of external physical stimuli. Behavioral evidence of perceptual and motor simulations in lexical processing has been widely reported on the effects of word concreteness, perceptual and action strength, and modality switch. Evidence of sensorimotor simulation has also been found in the forms of compatibility and interference effects during sentence processing. Neurophysiological evidence has also shown that perceptual and motor regions are consistently engaged when speakers process concepts related to action, sound, visual shape, motion, color, olfaction-gustation, and emotion.
In recent years, there has been growing research interest in how embodied simulation is engaged in second language (L2) meaning construction and to what extent this engagement is influenced by factors such as first language (L1) entrenchment and the level of language proficiency. However, the number of existing L2 studies is still very limited, and research findings are rather mixed. Some evidence suggests that proficient L2 learners can perform automatic mental simulation in L2 processing in a nativelike manner. Other results show that the effects of mental simulation are only selectively present in L2 processing, with an overall reduced effect compared to the effects of mental simulation in adult L1 processing. There is a lack of a robust theoretical delineation that sufficiently accounts for how bilingual and L2 mental simulation distinguishes from L1 mental simulation while connecting to existing models of bilingual and L2 processing. The field calls for more empirical studies on bilingual and L2 speakers to further advance our understanding in this area.
The current Research Topic is soliciting manuscripts that report empirical studies on perceptual and motor simulation in bilingual and L2 processing. The specific themes that we would like contributors to address include:
- Mental representations during bilingual and L2 processing of conceptual domains related to spatiality (e.g., orientation, distance), perceptual properties (e.g., color, shape, size, and sound), and motor properties (e.g., action, emotion, and gesture)
- Similarities and differences of the engagement of mental simulation in L1 processing versus in bilingual and L2 processing
- The impact of cross-linguistic similarities and differences on the mental representations of bilingual and L2 speakers
- Diachronic changes and the development of mental representations in children, adolescents, and adult bilingual and L2 processing
- Factors that can influence the engagement of mental representations in bilingual and L2 processing, such as language proficiency, language dominance, language distance, and frequency of language exposure
We welcome original research as well as reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles that contribute novel insights, advance the field, and propose future directions in the study of perceptual and motor simulation in bilingual and L2 processing.
Theories of embodied cognition propose that online language comprehension recruits mental simulations. Embodied mental simulation refers to the ability to mentally recreate perceptual-motor experiences in the absence of external physical stimuli. Behavioral evidence of perceptual and motor simulations in lexical processing has been widely reported on the effects of word concreteness, perceptual and action strength, and modality switch. Evidence of sensorimotor simulation has also been found in the forms of compatibility and interference effects during sentence processing. Neurophysiological evidence has also shown that perceptual and motor regions are consistently engaged when speakers process concepts related to action, sound, visual shape, motion, color, olfaction-gustation, and emotion.
In recent years, there has been growing research interest in how embodied simulation is engaged in second language (L2) meaning construction and to what extent this engagement is influenced by factors such as first language (L1) entrenchment and the level of language proficiency. However, the number of existing L2 studies is still very limited, and research findings are rather mixed. Some evidence suggests that proficient L2 learners can perform automatic mental simulation in L2 processing in a nativelike manner. Other results show that the effects of mental simulation are only selectively present in L2 processing, with an overall reduced effect compared to the effects of mental simulation in adult L1 processing. There is a lack of a robust theoretical delineation that sufficiently accounts for how bilingual and L2 mental simulation distinguishes from L1 mental simulation while connecting to existing models of bilingual and L2 processing. The field calls for more empirical studies on bilingual and L2 speakers to further advance our understanding in this area.
The current Research Topic is soliciting manuscripts that report empirical studies on perceptual and motor simulation in bilingual and L2 processing. The specific themes that we would like contributors to address include:
- Mental representations during bilingual and L2 processing of conceptual domains related to spatiality (e.g., orientation, distance), perceptual properties (e.g., color, shape, size, and sound), and motor properties (e.g., action, emotion, and gesture)
- Similarities and differences of the engagement of mental simulation in L1 processing versus in bilingual and L2 processing
- The impact of cross-linguistic similarities and differences on the mental representations of bilingual and L2 speakers
- Diachronic changes and the development of mental representations in children, adolescents, and adult bilingual and L2 processing
- Factors that can influence the engagement of mental representations in bilingual and L2 processing, such as language proficiency, language dominance, language distance, and frequency of language exposure
We welcome original research as well as reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles that contribute novel insights, advance the field, and propose future directions in the study of perceptual and motor simulation in bilingual and L2 processing.