DLL lexical processing (Woolpert & Ratiu, 2026)

Purpose: The present study investigated linguistic factors that influence lexical processing in dual-language learner (DLL) children.Method: A total of 134 children—66 DLL children and 68 monolingual classmates in Grades 2–6—completed a battery of standardized and experimental measures. In the cross-linguistic task, children selected one of three words that matched a picture. Cross-linguistic trials included either cognate targets or false-friend foils.Results: Relative to baseline, DLL children’s performance was affected by the presence of cognate targets but not of false-friend foils. However, false-friend inhibition was mitigated by Spanish proficiency.Conclusions: DLL children’s knowledge of multiple languages makes word reading a qualitatively different process relative to that of monolinguals. The effect of cross-linguistic activation on DLL children’s English performance is discussed.Supplemental Material S1. Full model results for regression analyses.Woolpert, D., & Ratiu, I. (2026). Cognate facilitation and false-friend inhibition in Spanish-speaking dual-language learners’ lexical processing of English. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_PERSP-25-00080