Ward, Abbey Lee2020-09-292020-09-292020https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2582468 pagesPrior research suggests that language systems interact in bilingual individuals. The current study seeks to extend prior work by investigating whether or not bilingual toddlers exhibit cross-language priming effects and to what extent measures of proficiency versus exposure modulate lexical-semantic processing within and across languages. Here we present findings on a group of Spanish-English bilingual toddlers at 24 months of age (N = 20). Consistent with prior literature, toddlers demonstrated cross-language priming effects, suggesting that language systems interact in the second year of life. Additionally, our results indicate that lexical-semantic processing is related to language proficiency, such that vocabulary was a stronger predictor than cumulative exposure. Surprisingly, proficiency measured by vocabulary size and speed of word recognition either facilitated or inhibited lexical-semantic processing, dependent on language condition. Together these findings demonstrate that proficiency modulates lexical-semantic processing within and across languages.en-USGraduation AuditThesis ProspectusBilingual DevelopmentCommunicationLexical-semantic ProcessingLanguage DominanceBilingual Spanish-EnglishCross-language InteractionBilingual ToddlersThesis/Dissertation