This paper explores whether and how the way in which L1 is used relates to L2 users’ cultural exposure. The L2 cultural exposure may affect the conceptual system not necessarily by the quantity of L2 use as a consequence of residence in L2 community, but by the knowledge, pragmatics, and skills carried by L2 and L2 activity in context (Cook, 1992; Kecskes & Papp, 2000; Pavlenko & Jarvis 2002). These are the features that support common underlying conceptual base (Kecskes & Papp, 2000) that the previous conceptual system gets modified qualitatively and conceptually with the constant influence between L1 and L2.

However, little attention has been paid on the impact of L2 cultural exposure underlying conceptual system. Adapting from bilinguals’ research methods, the story reproduction writing task was designed. This task requires participants to read a short story written in L2 and to write the content of the story by using L1. My focus is paraphrased L1 words and phrases within each sentence context.

To this end, three groups of participants who are distinguishable in L2 cultural exposure were recruited: Korean users of English living in Korea (n=28), Korean users of English in the U.S. more than two years (n=28), and Korean American living in U.S. (n=28). To assess their conceptual fluency underlying L1 use, the distinction between direct translation and paraphrasing the content is made. The paraphrasing data are measured with two rating categories; whether or not L1 use is conceptually and contextually equivalent to L1 concept. The findings of conceptual differences will be compared across groups and discussed in relation to the group differences. I hope to find that L1 paraphrasing may reflect L2 users’ conceptual knowledge and fluency, and its frequency and characteristics may be the result of type of L2 cultural exposure.