The modulating role of memory load on language switching in sentence comprehension: evidence from eye movements.

Wang Y; Liu X; Sun C · 2026 · PubMed Central

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04871-1

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Summary

This study investigates how working memory load modulates language switching during real-time sentence comprehension in Chinese-English bilinguals. While language switching costs are well-documented in production tasks, comprehension studies often yield inconsistent results, suggesting that cognitive resources play a critical role. Grounded in the Adaptive Control Hypothesis, the authors hypothesized that memory load would interact with language direction and context, potentially revealing switch benefits for switching into the second language (L2) and costs for switching into the first language (L1) only under high cognitive demand. The researchers employed a within-subject experimental design using eye-tracking technology to capture high-resolution processing data. Fifty participants with intermediate English proficiency completed a dual-task paradigm: they judged the correctness of sentences (Task 1) while simultaneously maintaining a string of alphanumeric characters in working memory (Task 2). Memory load was manipulated at three levels (low, medium, high) based on string length. The study analyzed behavioral measures (accuracy and reaction times) and eye-tracking metrics across temporal, spatial, and physiological dimensions at both the global sentence level and local target-word level. Results indicated that language switching costs are not fixed but adaptable to cognitive load. Under high memory load, switching from L2 to L1 resulted in the longest reaction times and highest switch costs, whereas switching into L2 consistently yielded switch benefits (faster processing) across all load levels. Eye-tracking data revealed a dissociation between temporal and spatial dimensions during sentence comprehension. At the local level, early and late processing stages of target words showed similar patterns, with effects becoming more pronounced in the late stage. Specifically, high load impaired resource-demanding late-stage semantic integration, particularly for L2 switches, confirming that cognitive depletion differentially affects processing stages. These findings demonstrate that bilingual language control is a dynamic system regulated by available cognitive resources. The study highlights that working memory load exacerbates switching difficulties for the dominant language (L1) while maintaining efficiency for the non-dominant language (L2), challenging the classic asymmetry observed in production tasks. This underscores the intricate relationship between domain-general cognitive control and language-specific switching mechanisms, suggesting that comprehension involves adaptive resource allocation rather than static inhibition.

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• task switching