This master's thesis addresses the organization of the mental lexicon of the native language (L1) and the first foreign language (L2). Previous research has shown that words are not stored randomly in the mind but are organized systematically. Not only are they organized, they are also stored in a highly efficient manner, allowing for quick access. Most researchers agree that there are certain connections between lexical units in the brain. For many years, these connections have been investigated, in particular how they develop and what insights they can provide about the organization of words in the brain. Although association tests have great potential to reveal mental processes, the results of previous studies in this area are quite inconsistent. It seems that one of the main reasons for the lack of consistency is that too little attention has been given to the selection of words used as stimuli. In this thesis, the stimuli are selected according to criteria designed to ensure the relevance and reliability of the stimuli used. The empirical part of this thesis focuses on comparing the L1 and L2 lexicon with evidence from free association test. Native Slovenian speakers, whose first foreign language is English, responded to stimuli. The answers were categorized within a system, developed by Tess Fitzpatrick. Based on the results, findings and assumptions regarding the differences between the L1 and L2 mental lexicons are presented. A comparison of associations in English between a less advanced (BA 1st year students) and more advanced (MA 2nd year students) group was conducted. The aim was also to examine how the semantic variables concreteness, familiarity, and imageability of individual words would affect the choice of associations. The analysis showed that the L1 and L2 mental lexicons are structurally very similar. No significant differences were found between the more and less advanced groups. The analysis of the impact of semantic variables showed that these had the most influence on the category of "other" associations, where the frequency of responses in this category increased for low-concreteness, familiarity, and imageability stimuli. The study establishes a basis for further exploration of the mental lexicon in Slovenian and English as a foreign language and suggests possibilities for further research.
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