CROSS-LINGUISTIC INFLUENCE ON LEXICAL DEVELOPMENT IN UZBEK–ENGLISH BILINGUALS

Abstract

Cross-linguistic influence represents one of the central mechanisms underlying bilingual lexical development and language processing. When bilingual speakers access words in one language, lexical representations associated with the other language may also become activated. This interaction may facilitate lexical retrieval in some contexts while producing interference or competition in others. The present article examines the theoretical and psycholinguistic foundations of cross-linguistic influence in Uzbek–English bilingualism, with particular attention to lexical access, lexical competition, language dominance, proficiency, age of second-language acquisition, and language exposure. The article synthesizes findings from contemporary bilingual lexical-processing research and considers their applicability to the Uzbek–English language combination. Particular attention is given to the integrated nature of the bilingual lexicon and the implications of the BIA+ framework for understanding lexical activation. The analysis suggests that Uzbek–English bilingual lexical development should be understood as a dynamic process shaped by both linguistic and individual factors. Because Uzbek and English differ substantially in their orthographic, phonological, morphological, and lexical systems, the Uzbek–English combination provides a productive context for investigating cross-linguistic facilitation and interference. The article proposes directions for empirical research using lexical decision, picture-naming, translation-recognition, verbal-fluency, and reaction-time measures.