The Processing of English-Turkish (False) Cognates: Evidence from a Backward Lexical Translation Task

Year 2021, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 293 - 310, 26.12.2021

Ozan Can Çağlar , Esra Ataman , Bilal Kırkıcı

https://doi.org/10.47777/cankujhss.1047495

Abstract

Cognate facilitation and false cognate inhibition effects have been tested in various
language pairs with different experimental tasks and participant profiles so far.
However, studies focusing on the recognition or production of (false) cognates are
nearly absent for Turkish-English despite the prevalence of these words. Thus, using a
backward lexical translation task (from L2 to L1), this study aimed to investigate
whether cognate facilitation and false cognate inhibition effects could be observed in
Turkish-English by testing 50 adult Turkish L2 speakers of English. The materials were
made up of cognates, false cognates, and controls. The effect of L2 proficiency was also
manipulated by dividing the participants into two proficiency groups (high vs. low)
based on OPT scores. Also, the role of morphology was introduced by using mismatch
items (polymorphemic in L2 but monomorphemic in L1). The findings showed a robust
cognate facilitation and false cognate inhibition but no significant effect of L2
proficiency. The role of morphology was not conclusive and came with its limitations.
These results provided supporting evidence for the language non-selective view and
pointed towards the presence of these effects irrespective of language, task or
participant profile. Also, a compelling need for measuring proficiency using multiple
measures emerged.

Keywords

(false) cognate effect, Turkish, English, morphology, backward lexical translation task

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

(2209-A / Grant No: 1919B011502918)

Thanks

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback, and Nurten Çelikkol Berk for the invaluable help she provided during the data collection process. This research was supported by TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, as part of an undergraduate research project grant to Ozan Can Çağlar (2209-A / Grant No: 1919B011502918).

Türkçe-İngilizce (Yalancı) Eşdeğer Sözcüklerin İşlemlenmesi: Sözcüksel Tersine Çeviri Görevi Bulguları

Abstract

Hızlandırıcı eşdeğer ve yavaşlatıcı yalancı eşdeğer etkileri şimdiye dek çeşitli dil
ikililerinde farklı deneysel görevler ve katılımcı grupları kullanılarak sınanmıştır.
Ancak (yalancı) eşdeğer sözcüklerin Türkçe-İngilizce dil ikilisi arasındaki yaygınlığına
rağmen, bu sözcüklerin tanınması ve üretimine odaklanan çalışmalar bu ikili arasında
yok denecek kadar azdır. Dolayısıyla bu çalışmada, hızlandırıcı eşdeğer ve yavaşlatıcı yalancı eşdeğer etkilerinin var olup olmadığı sözcüksel tersine çeviri (D2’den D1’e)
görevi kullanılarak araştırılmıştır. Çalışmaya 50 yetişkin D1 Türkçe D2 İngilizce
konuşuru katılmıştır. Çalışma kapsamında eşdeğer, yalancı eşdeğer ve kontrol türünde
sözcükler sınanmıştır. Ayrıca, İngilizce Yeterlik Testi sonuçlarına göre katılımcılar iki
gruba ayrılmış (yüksek ve düşük) ve böylece D2 yeterliği bağımsız değişken olarak
çalışmaya eklenmiştir. Dahası, uyumsuz durum (D2’de çok biçimbirimli D1’de tek
biçimbirimli) dahil edilerek olası biçimbilimsel etkiler sınanmıştır. Sonuçlar
hızlandırıcı eşdeğer ve yavaşlatıcı yalancı eşdeğer etkileri ortaya koymuş ancak D2
yeterliğinin belirgin bir etkisine rastlanılmamıştır. Deneysel desen kaynaklı bazı
kısıtlar sebebiyle biçimbilimin etkisi hakkında kesin iddialar ortaya koymak mümkün
olamamıştır. Tüm bu bulgular seçici ikidilli (language non-selective) görüşünü ve bu
etkilerin sınanan diller, kullanılan görev ve katılımcı profilinden bağımsız ortaya
çıktığını destekler niteliktedir. Son olarak, bu çalışma dil yeterliğini ölçmede birden çok
ölçütten faydalanılması gerekliliğini ortaya koymuştur.

Keywords

(yalancı) eşdeğer etkisi, Türkçe, İngilizce, biçimbilim, sözcüksel tersine çeviri görevi

Project Number

(2209-A / Grant No: 1919B011502918)

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