Consequences for learning and processing: Translation ambiguity

Tokowicz, Natasha; Degani, Tamar

doi:10.1075/lald.53.12tok

In:Research in Second Language Processing and Parsing
Edited by Bill VanPatten and Jill Jegerski
[Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 53] 2010
► pp. 281–294

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Translation ambiguity

Consequences for learning and processing

Natasha Tokowicz | University of Pittsburgh

Tamar Degani | University of Pittsburgh

Published online: 15 December 2010

https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.53.12tok

Translation ambiguity occurs when a word in one language can be translated in more than one way into another language. This cross-language phenomenon comes from several sources of within-language ambiguity including lexical ambiguity, polysemy, and near-synonymy. We review the existing research on translation ambiguity, including its consequences for vocabulary learning, for lexical processing (e.g., translation performance), and for meaning representation. When possible, we discuss how the impact of translation ambiguity is affected by or interacts with the source of the ambiguity (i.e., near-synonymy vs. lexical ambiguity) and L2 proficiency level.

Cited by (10)

Cited by ten other publications

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2020. Native language processing is influenced by L2-to-L1 translation ambiguity. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience 35:3 ► pp. 310 ff.

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BRACKEN, JENNIFER, TAMAR DEGANI, CHELSEA EDDINGTON & NATASHA TOKOWICZ

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Degani, Tamar, Anat Prior, Chelsea M. Eddington, Ana B. Arêas da Luz Fontes & Natasha Tokowicz

2016. Determinants of translation ambiguity. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 6:3 ► pp. 290 ff.

EDDINGTON, CHELSEA M. & NATASHA TOKOWICZ

2013. Examining English–German translation ambiguity using primed translation recognition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 16:2 ► pp. 442 ff.

PRIOR, ANAT, JUDITH F. KROLL & BRIAN MACWHINNEY

2013. Translation ambiguity but not word class predicts translation performance. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 16:2 ► pp. 458 ff.

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