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Title Cognitive Processing Of Linguistic Resources In Translaguaging: A Psycholinguistic Exploration In Pakistani Context

Author(s) Ms. Bushra Ashraf

Abstract The use of translanguaging practices is a natural consequence of multilingualism. When individuals are proficient in multiple languages, they tend to draw on all of their linguistic resources to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively. This study examines how Punjabi-Urdu-English trilingual speakers in Pakistan cognitively process multiple languages during comprehension and production. Informed by the theoretical lens of translanguaging and the Multilink model, this study examines the structural composition and cognitive mechanisms underlying the trilingual mental lexicon. The study sample consisted of 105 undergraduate students who were proficient in Punjabi, Urdu, and English. The participants were recruited through a stratified sampling technique. The study employs a mixed-methods design integrating psycholinguistic experiments (the picture-naming task, the Stroop task, and the translation-elicitation task) with qualitative insights from a language background questionnaire, interpretation of experimental tasks, and analysis of errors. The results reveal a unitary linguistic repertoire, with simultaneous activation of multiple language systems resulting in both facilitation and interference effects. The study’s findings also highlight the interconnectedness of languages in the minds of trilingual speakers, as activation of one language influences the processing of another either as facilitation or interference. These results highlight the dynamic interconnectedness of linguistic resources in trilinguals, offering implications for language teaching and cognitive linguistics. The study recommends recognising translanguaging as a legitimate practice in Pakistan’s language-in-education policies and integrating indigenous languages alongside Urdu and English. By focusing on cross-script language processing in a previously underresearched context, this study contributes original insights to psycholinguistics and multilingual education.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-08-28

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