Substitutionsfehler und Wörter auf der Zunge: Evidenz für das multilinguale Lexikon

In this article, I present and analyze examples of two types of lexical retrieval failures in third language learners: tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states and word substitution errors. Based on observable patterns of similarity between target word and word associations in TOT states and between target word and substitution in lexical errors, I discuss hypotheses about the organizing principles of the L2/L3 learner’s mental lexicon and mechanisms of lexical learning. Finally I ask what possible implications such assumptions may have for the learning and teaching of foreign language vocabulary.