Abstract

Bilingualism refers to the use of two languages on day to day basis, bilingualism can be classified based on several parameters and the proficiency is the key factor based on which bilingualism is classified. On the basis of proficiency held in L1 and L2, bilingualism can be classified as dominant and balanced bilingualism. The current study investigated forward and backward translational abilities in balanced and dominant bilinguals. A total of 45 participants were recruited for the study and the proficiency in L2 was the grouping variable. Words, phrases and sentences were used as stimuli and the participants were asked to translate these linguistic units to the other language (translate to L2, if stimulus was presented in L1; translate to L1 if the stimulus was presented in L1). It was observed that there was no significant difference between balanced and dominant bilinguals for words and phrases while there was a significant difference between these two groups for sentences. The result showed the significant role of linguistic complexity in determining the performance of translational abilities.