Influence Of French Proficiency On The Recognition Of Interlingual Cognates In English: An Experimental Study In Niger

This study lies within the domain of applied psycholinguistics and investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying the acquisition of English as a foreign language in a multilingual context. It seeks to examine the impact of interlingual transfers within the educational setting of Niger, with the objective of informing pedagogical strategies tailored to the linguistic diversity of learners. Specifically, the research aims to analyze the extent to which proficiency in French (first foreign language) influences both the contextual and decontextualized recognition of interlingual cognates in English. The central research question addresses the dual nature of the language transfer, which can function either as a facilitator or as a hindrance in the acquisition of a second foreign language. A deeper understanding of this cognitive variable is thus crucial for the development of more effective didactic approaches. To this end, a quasi-experimental study was conducted involving 118 third-year students from the Department of Literature, Arts, and Communication at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey. Two assessment instruments were employed: one contextual questionnaire simulating authentic reading tasks, and another decontextualized lexical recognition test based on multiple-choice translation items. Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U. test revealed no significant differences in contextual cognate recognition. However, a highly significant difference emerged in decontextualized recognition, favoring students with higher proficiency in French. These findings underscore the facilitative role of the first foreign language in specific lexical identification tasks.