ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN STUDY OF SEMANTIC CATEGORY CONTENT
The study of the semantic categorization is impossible without taking into account the context of the culture. Culture and conceptual behavior are inseparable [Ojalehto, Medin 2015]. Language, being a conductor of culture, can influence memory and thinking [Oyserman et al 2008; Ramírez-Esparza et al. 2006]. One of the simplest and popular method, which is used to study features of the categorization and organization of knowledge in long-term memory, is category fluency task (subjects list words that belong to a certain semantic category within a given time). It was shown that bilinguals are worse than monolinguals in performing this task and usually demonstrate a smaller vocabulary [Bialystok et al., 2008]. Thus, change in the organization of knowledge in long-term memory that occurs when the foreign language is acquired, as well as differences in the use of native and foreign languages are problems requiring to be studied. The purpose of the study was to compare the generation frequency of words belonging to different semantic categories in the native and foreign languages. Since the experience of a person in using a native and a foreign language can differ significantly (individuals use different languages in different contexts), this will affect the structure of semantic categories when subjects are tested in native and foreign languages. Sixty-eight Russian-speaking students studying English were asked to list words belonging to different semantic categories in Russian and English. A number of named words was calculated for each category. For each word, the generation frequency in Russian and English was computed. The number of words, named in each category using the native language, in the average was greater than the number of words listed in a foreign language. Such differences can be explained by the fact that the size of the vocabulary is significantly smaller in a foreign language than in the native language. Perhaps, individuals cannot suppress the interference, which is caused by the actualization of another language. Perhaps in bilingual subjects, each language is supported by weaker links that connect concepts with words in comparison to monolinguals [Bialystok et al. 2008]. In addition, if in the beginning the proper word is recalled in Russian and it has to be translated into a foreign language, then it takes more time to name the word than when the task is performed in the native language. In order to evaluate the degree of similarity and differences in the structure of categories in using native and foreign languages, along with correlations between the generation frequency of words named in Russian and English, the Hellinger's Affinity coefficients were also measured. The generation frequency of words was similar for some categories between languages. For other categories, the consistency was much lower than the consistency of the similar data between samples representing the same culture. It can be suggested that the vocabulary of the foreign language in categories with high levels of correlation and Affinity turned out to be more acquired or that these categories are less affected by cross-cultural diversity. In addition, the low level of Affinity for a number of categories can be explained by strong cross-cultural differences. It can be explained by differences in experience in using native and foreign languages. When subjects switch to a foreign language, they tend to name the concepts, which are representative of the culture of this language. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant “Culturally universal and culturally specific aspects of categorization” 17-36-01131.