Conceptual and Linguistic Transfer from L2 (Catalan) to L1 (Amazigh) within the Context of Migration

Abstract

This paper focuses on the analysis of the lexical and semantic influences of L2 (Catalan) on the L1 (Amazigh) in a basic semantic field: parts of the body. Based on the observation that our participants show differences in their L1 usage related to the amount of time they have been in contact with Catalan, our goal is to analyze and describe these differences to see if they are the consequence of a transfer from the L2 conceptual system. This paper is a qualitative study with a sample size of 14 participants whose L1 is Amazigh and who live in Catalonia. The results show that there are cases of semantic and conceptual influence, although to a lesser degree than in other studies that do not analyze data from basic semantic fields. We will also show that there are extralinguistic factors that influence these transfers (the status of the languages involved and certain characteristics of the speakers).