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ERIC Number: EJ1476513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0167-8507
EISSN: EISSN-1613-3684
Available Date: 2025-05-23
Bilingual Autobiographical Memory: Unveiling the Significance of Memories Encoded in Multiple Languages
Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, v44 n4 p545-568 2025
Research has shown that bilingual individuals might encode autobiographical memories in either their first language (L1) or their second language (L2), depending on the language spoken at the time of the event. Although language mixing is a common occurrence among multilingual speakers, previous studies have largely overlooked mixed memories -- those encoded in both L1 and L2. The current study aims to bridge this research gap by analyzing a corpus of 1,297 memories (636 L1 memories, 357 L2 memories, and 305 mixed memories), with a particular focus on memory phenomenology, including factors such as vividness, emotional arousal, and personal significance. The statistical analysis revealed that mixed memories exhibited higher levels of emotional arousal and personal significance compared to memories encoded exclusively in L1 or L2. These findings underscore the unique status of mixed memories in the bilingual mind and emphasize the importance of adopting a heteroglossic approach to the study of bilingual autobiographical memory.
De Gruyter Mouton. Available from: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. 121 High Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02110. Tel: 857-284-7073; Fax: 857-284-7358; e-mail: service@degruyter.com; Web site: http://www.degruyter.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of World Languages and Literatures, TESOL Program, New Haven, USA