ABSTRACT
Previously, we postulated that conceptual development and change are dynamic processes that take place throughout the lifetime of individuals and are shaped through their socialization into new discursive communities. These processes occur naturally during the course of socialization into one’s first language(s); they are also affected by second or additional language socialization, and can result in the modification and transformation of already acquired concepts. Four types of events and processes are at the source of these transformations: (a) developmental maturation and schooling (resulting, inter alia, in the development of natural and nominal kinds of concepts, cf. Keil, 1989a); (b) socialization into new professional communities (leading to the appropriation of new terminology); (c) life changes, such as immigration or conversion to a different religion (leading to the adoption of new objects, customs, or holidays); and (d) exposure to new language-mediated concepts. The first three types of socialization may take place within the same language community; consequently, it is the fourth source of conceptual change that is of interest in the present investigation.
