English-Chinese Bilingual Multidimensional Spreading Activation Model Of Language And Thinking

The comprehension and production of a foreign language (FL) depend in the final analysis on a powerful and efficient FL lexicon. However, the construction of adults' FL lexicon is based on the strong established mother tongue (MT) lexicon. Therefore, it is inevitable that there is a complex interaction between the FL and MT lexicons.A variety of theoretical models concerning the representation of bilingual lexicon have been proposed in the psycholinguistic circle, but so far it is still a vexed and divisive issue, and the proposed models can only explain some aspects of bilingual lexicon. Professor Yin Demo in Xihua University, after years of teaching practice and theoretical research, put forward the Cognition-knowledge Bilingual Double Structures (CKBDS) theory, which provides a brand-new perspective for the study on the representation of bilingual lexicon.The CKBDS hypothesis, as a macro-theory on FL learning, has answered the questions concerning the interaction among the FL and MT knowledge structures and cognitive structures as well as the psychological mechanism at a macro level while the study of FL-MT bilingual lexicons is the reification of the CKBDS theory at the level of words and concepts and the study on the lexicons can in turn further verify the CKBDS theory.With Marxist Epistemology and system theory as its philosophical basis and guiding principle, this thesis, based on the theories from such fields as neuropsychology, neurolinguistics, cognitive psychology, cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, semantics, explores the neurobiological basis, the components, organization and psychological mechanism of bilingual language and thinking at the theoretical level, and, with 70 English major juniors and seniors and non-English major freshmen in Northwest Sci-tech University of Agriculture and Forestry as its subjects, the research also empirically studies the systematic differences and organization of English-Chinese bilingual lexicons as well as some influencing factors such as FL proficiency. The experimental results were handled with SPSS.The experimental results are as follow:1. The English-Chinese bilingual lexicons are systematically different in the associated words and organization.2. There are multidimensional activation in the subsystems of bilingual languages and cognition3. The concepts and conceptual metaphors fixed by the bilingual lexicons demonstrate both similarities and distinctions.On the basis of the results of theoretical and experimental research, an English-Chinese bilingual multidimensional spreading activation model of language and thinking (ECBMSAMOLT) is established, and the English-Chinese bilingual mechanism of mental activities and accompanying phenomena are explained and depicted by using the model. On the basis of the above analysis, the author briefly discusses the relationship among the two languages and their thinking, and the implications of the model on foreign language teaching and learning, that is, we should make full use of the positive effect of MT and its thinking, and at the same time build a strong and efficient FL mental lexicon.The thesis is composed of the following seven chapters:Chapter 1 is the introduction, which mainly covers the source, background and significance of the research subject, the literature review, research contents and methods.Chapter 2 mainly discusses the philosophical basis and methodology of the bilingual model to be established.Chapter 3 explores, at both the macro and micro level, the neurophysiologic mechanism of the bilingual lexicon.Chapter 4 pertains to the CKBDS theory at the lexicon level, including the theoretical exploration of the sub-systems, the components and motivation of the existence of the CKBDS.Chapter 5, based on the bilingual word association and tracing test, studies the organization and the interaction of the components of the CKBDS at the lexical level as well as the systematic similarities and differences between the English and Chinese mental lexicons.In chapter 6, according to the results of the theoretical and experimental research in the previous chapters, the author creates the ECBMSAMOLT, and probes into the mental mechanism of and the relationship between the bilingual languages and thinkings.Chapter 7 is the conclusion, mainly including the research results, the deficiency of the research and the direction of the subsequent researches.