Mental imagery effects in bilingual phrasal verb comprehension
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2026
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Language and Cognition
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Cambridge University Press
Melbourne Authors
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School of Languages and Linguistics
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Journal Article
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Hu, Y. & Zhao, H. (2026). Mental imagery effects in bilingual phrasal verb comprehension. Language and Cognition, 18, https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2026.10062.
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Open Access
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Abstract
This study investigated how mental imagery is engaged during first language (L1) and second language (L2) speakers’ incremental sentence processing of English phrasal verbs, using a self-paced sensibility judgment task interleaved with schematic diagrams. L1 speakers showed selective compatibility effects modulated by abstractness, semantic transparency of phrasal verbs, event plausibility and the timing of visual input. In contrast, L2 learners relied more generally on visual support, reflecting weaker integration of semantic and perceptual cues. Learner-internal factors such as L2 proficiency and language dominance modulated learners’ sensitivity to integrate and resolve competing cues between semantic coherence and perceptual input. These findings support a simulation-based model of L2 comprehension, highlighting the developmental nature of sensorimotor activation in bilingual processing.