LANGUAGE FORMAT AND ANALOGICAL TRANSFER AMONG BILINGUAL PROBLEM SOLVERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Is analogical problem solving of bilinguals affected by the language i n which the problem is given? Three experiments study whether the lang uage used for the problem affects analogical transfer between word pro blems among Filipino-English bilinguals. Subjects were given a set of study problems all of which were either in Filipino or English. They w ere then given a set of analogous transfer-test problems either in Fil ipino or in English. Experiment 1 showed a language-compatibility effe ct; transfer was better when the language of the study and transfer-te st problems were the same. Experiments 2 to 3 studied the locus of the effect. The data suggest that language compatibility facilitates the retrieval of relevant, superficially similar problem information but d oes not affect the process of applying the same problem information to the new problem. The results are discussed in terms of their implicat ions to problem-solving behaviour of bilinguals and to the education o f bilingual students.