One day, my friend asked me if I was having any problems speaking multiple languages. She is taking courses in Psychology as a minor and wanted to use my opinions on a report she was writing. I speak both Korean and English quite fluently, and I’m learning Japanese in school. But sometimes communication is not that easy, even in Korean or English. When I’m talking in Korean, I sometimes forget Korean words but remember them in English instead (+ vice versa). I told her about this problem, and she told me some psychological theories that explained this phenomenon. I figured that this was something interesting to share between people who are studying abroad, with hopes that some of you encounter similar problems and interested in the answers.
There are a few variety of bilingual word association types. These explain how the brain process concepts and language regarding different individuals. The Word Association (WA) Model and the Concept Association (CA) Model explains the problems that I encounter.
The WA Model is typically seen in beginners. The brain is more closely connected with one language than the other, and the two languages have a one-way connection where the primary language has an unilateral effect on the secondary language. Looking at a certain image or concept, the brain directly connects the meaning of the given image and finds the description of it with the primary language. The primary language is then translated into the secondary language, which is printed out in the secondary language. Some of you might have noticed this process going through your mind while reading texts in a secondary language.
The CM Model, on the other hand, there is no connection/relation between the two languages (in my case, Korean and English). Upon imagining or looking at a certain image, the brain first processes the structural meaning and concept of the image. After that, the brain finds the word that describes the image and sends it out in whatever language the situation and context prefer. This structure is seen in more fluent users of both languages.
My problem with English and Korean is explained by the CM Model. Because Korean and English does not have a connection, the brain becomes confused at the ‘finding the appropriate word’ step and sometimes cannot figure out what I want to say in one language but not the other. Apparently this is fairly common between people who speak multiple languages, and nothing to be extremely careful or be concerned about.
I’ve always thought that language was not a solid “one”. To me, speaking two languages did not mean that my language skills is double the amount than monolingual people. Instead, multiple languages piles and adds up to become “one” in total. This thought of mine seemed to be connected with the language process models, which I found quite interesting as well. Language is nonetheless interesting, and the psychological interpretation made it even more so!