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The Status of the First Letter Improves with Second Language Proficiency for Different-Script Bilinguals: Evidence from Chinese-English Bilinguals

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Title: The Status of the First Letter Improves with Second Language Proficiency for Different-Script Bilinguals: Evidence from Chinese-English Bilinguals
Language: English
Authors: Fengjiao Cong, Changze Zhao, Baoguo Chen (ORCID 0000-0001-5511-8899)
Source: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2025 28(7):726-743.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Bilingualism, Chinese, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Spelling, Orthographic Symbols, Graphemes, Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence, Brain, Language Proficiency, Cognitive Processes, Romanization, Vocabulary, Semantics, Validity
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2025.2468168
ISSN: 1367-0050
1747-7522
Abstract: The present study aimed to examine whether the first-letter identity/position advantage in the Roman script could be generalized to Chinese-English bilinguals with different scripts and to address the mechanism underlying the first-letter advantage in Chinese-English bilinguals. Four types of nonwords (substituted-first letter nonwords, e.g. lrunk; substituted-internal letter nonwords, e.g. tronk; transposed-first letter nonwords, e.g. rtunk; transposed-internal letter nonwords; e.g. turnk) plus base words (e.g. trunk) were briefly presented to participants, and the EEG signal of participants was recorded while they performed a lexical decision task. ERP results in N400 show that there was a first-letter identity advantage in Chinese-English bilinguals, and the first-letter position advantage increased with English proficiency. These findings suggest that (a) the first-letter advantage also exists in Chinese-English bilinguals, and (b) the mechanism behind it is adaptive modification rather than sequential processing, which supports the modified receptive field (MRF) hypothesis.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492691
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: The Status of the First Letter Improves with Second Language Proficiency for Different-Script Bilinguals: Evidence from Chinese-English Bilinguals
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fengjiao+Cong%22">Fengjiao Cong</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Changze+Zhao%22">Changze Zhao</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Baoguo+Chen%22">Baoguo Chen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-8899">0000-0001-5511-8899</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Bilingual+Education+and+Bilingualism%22"><i>International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism</i></searchLink>. 2025 28(7):726-743.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 18
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bilingualism%22">Bilingualism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chinese%22">Chinese</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spelling%22">Spelling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Orthographic+Symbols%22">Orthographic Symbols</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graphemes%22">Graphemes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phoneme+Grapheme+Correspondence%22">Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain%22">Brain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Proficiency%22">Language Proficiency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Romanization%22">Romanization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Semantics%22">Semantics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Validity%22">Validity</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/13670050.2025.2468168
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
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  Data: 1367-0050<br />1747-7522
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The present study aimed to examine whether the first-letter identity/position advantage in the Roman script could be generalized to Chinese-English bilinguals with different scripts and to address the mechanism underlying the first-letter advantage in Chinese-English bilinguals. Four types of nonwords (substituted-first letter nonwords, e.g. lrunk; substituted-internal letter nonwords, e.g. tronk; transposed-first letter nonwords, e.g. rtunk; transposed-internal letter nonwords; e.g. turnk) plus base words (e.g. trunk) were briefly presented to participants, and the EEG signal of participants was recorded while they performed a lexical decision task. ERP results in N400 show that there was a first-letter identity advantage in Chinese-English bilinguals, and the first-letter position advantage increased with English proficiency. These findings suggest that (a) the first-letter advantage also exists in Chinese-English bilinguals, and (b) the mechanism behind it is adaptive modification rather than sequential processing, which supports the modified receptive field (MRF) hypothesis.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1492691
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1492691
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        Value: 10.1080/13670050.2025.2468168
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 726
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bilingualism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chinese
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
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      – SubjectFull: English (Second Language)
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      – SubjectFull: Spelling
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      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Romanization
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      – SubjectFull: Semantics
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      – SubjectFull: Validity
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      – SubjectFull: China
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      – TitleFull: The Status of the First Letter Improves with Second Language Proficiency for Different-Script Bilinguals: Evidence from Chinese-English Bilinguals
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            NameFull: Fengjiao Cong
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            NameFull: Changze Zhao
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            NameFull: Baoguo Chen
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            – TitleFull: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
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