The study compared how British English speakers and Iranian EFL learners choose and use words in their minds. They looked at the types of word links used by both groups. The researchers tested 40 native and 40 nonnative college students. Nonnative students were divided into high, mid, and low ability levels. They all took a Word Association Test. The results showed that low and mid level nonnative students used one type of word link more than high level nonnative students. However, high level nonnative students and native English speakers used a similar type of word link frequently. This suggests that advanced nonnative learners can perform like native speakers. Improving language proficiency can change how people make mental connections between words. These findings are important for teaching and learning languages in academic settings.