RECALL OF CONCRETE AND ABSTRACT SENTENCES IN BILINGUALS

Sixty‐one subjects with differing degrees of bilingualism were placed in two groups according to reaction time measures and self‐ratings: one group dominant in German with Swedish as the weaker language, and one group balanced in skills. The subjects performed a recall task on 60 concrete and abstract sentences under normal conditions and during exposure to background noise. The results provide evidence that recall of sentences is a clear index of language dominance and that recall of abstract sentences provides the most revealing measure of dominance and balance. Comparisons of the two groups showed that the dominant group recalled significantly more in their dominant language than did the balanced group in that language. The most frequent error was the substitution of synonyms. It occurred most frequently in the balanced group. Some of the factors which contribute to the group differences were discussed and the results were interpreted in terms of current theories of recall. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved