Background: Words in the Mental Lexicon (ML) construct semantic field through associative and/
or semantic connections, with a pervasive native speaker preference for the former. Non-native
preferences, however, demand further inquiry. Previous studies have revealed inconsistent Lexical
Access (LA) patterns due to the limitations in the methodology and response categorization.
Objectives: To fill the gap, we employed a primed Picture Naming (PN) task for investigating the
relations between concepts in the ML of Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. We
also explored whether conscious priming at a long prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony affected
the naming latency of the learners with different proficiency levels.
Materials & Methods: The participants were 31 EFL learners (11-16 years old) at A1 and A2
levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. They were
recruited in summer 2020 from language institutes in Bushehr and Kazeroon cities, Iran, through a
convenience sampling method. They performed a PN task, including 66 prime-target pairs presented
in associative, semantic, both semantic and associative, or unrelated conditions. The mixed-effects
modeling was used for data analysis.
Results: Based on the likelihood ratio test of model comparisons for condition effect (χ2 (1) =9.07,
P=0.002), the interaction of condition, frequency, and length was significant in the semantic
condition (t=2.72, P=0.008). A slight effect was also observed from the prime frequency in the
associative condition (t=1.82, P=0.07).
Conclusion: Results indicate one-level access to the ML, which is indeed a function of language
proficiency. Findings are further discussed in terms of ML structure and patterns of LA.