Mental Simulation in Bilingual and Second Language Processing: New Directions in the Competition Model

Abstract

This article revisits the foundational principles of the Competition Model considering recent advances in mental simulation research, highlighting how embodied cognition provides a richer understanding of bilingual processing. By exploring the dynamics of cue competition, transfer, decoupling, and functional restructuring, it underscored the intricate mechanisms of linguistic, cognitive, and sensorimotor processes in bilingualism. Notably, the findings of the surveyed studies suggest that entrenched L1 mental models dominate early L2 processing but can be progressively restructured to achieve more autonomous and nativelike L2 functioning through processes of decoupling and embodied simulation. While empirical studies have demonstrated that advanced learners can achieve nativelike perceptual and motor simulations in L2 processing, the variability introduced by factors such as crosslinguistic similarity, proficiency, learning context, and immersion remains an area ripe for further exploration.