#3865. Irony Comprehension in Bidialectal Speakers

September 2026publication date
Proposal available till 12-05-2025
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Journal’s subject area:
Language and Linguistics;
Linguistics and Language;
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Abstract:
We examined the effect of multilingualism on irony comprehension, focusing on a specific type of multilinguals, that is, bidialectal speakers of two dialects of the same language (Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek). Specifically, we investigated the effects of second language (L2) proficiency and use on a continuous scale. Finally, we aimed to adjudicate between the direct and delayed access models of irony processing. We used an act-out test involving short videos, where irony was indexed by different cues (context, intonation, and face). Experiment 1 validated that ironic cues were perceived as such and were distinguishable from other comparable nonironic cues. Experiment 2 revealed that increased bidialectalism (specifically, higher L2 use) was associated with faster irony processing. The result supports the direct access model of irony. We discuss our findings in the context of 2 accounts of multilingual pragmatics—namely, that multilinguals enjoy a pragmatic advantage and that they have a monolingual-like pragmatic system.
Keywords:
bidialectalism; executive control; irony; L2 use; multilingualism

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