Language and Cognitive Development in Bilingual Children

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between language and cognition in bilinguals is a growing area of research, yet much remains to be explored about how these domains interact during early childhood. While bilingualism has been linked to enhancement in executive function, attention, and memory, studies often focus on the isolated aspects of bilingual experience. A more integrated understanding of how bilingual language acquisition shapes and is shaped by cognitive development in childhood is urgently needed. Additionally, there is a growing need to move beyond comparisons between monolingual and bilingual children to instead focus on individual differences within bilingual populations, exploring the factors that influence language and cognitive development in these contexts. This Special Issue seeks to bridge these gaps by inviting contributions that explore how bilingualism influences early language learning, cognitive functioning, and socioemotional outcomes.

This interdisciplinary call encourages submissions from psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, education, and related fields. The scope includes, but is not limited to, individual differences and mechanisms underpinning bilingual language acquisition, such as cross-linguistic transfer, code-switching, and dual language learning contexts. It also seeks work on the cognitive and neurological bases of bilingualism, including executive function, attention, and working memory. We welcome studies employing diverse methodologies, including behavioral measures as well as psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic techniques. These may include self-paced reading, eye-tracking, EEG, fMRI, and other experimental approaches that deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying bilingual language acquisition and cognitive processing. Submissions that focus on the social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing bilingual development, rather than solely contrasting linguistic or cognitive abilities of bilingual and monolingual children, are particularly encouraged. Additionally, longitudinal studies examining bilingualism’s impact on academic outcomes and lifelong competence are especially welcomed. By fostering dialog across disciplines, this Special Issue aims to inform both theory and practice, advancing our understanding of bilingual development and its long-term implications.

Below are several broad categories for submission. We welcome studies that fit within these themes or that address questions related to the language and cognitive development of bilingual children.

1. Mechanisms of bilingual language acquisition:
• Cross-linguistic transfer and code-switching in early childhood;
• Lexical and grammatical development in dual-language contexts;
• Implicit vs. explicit learning processes in bilingual language acquisition;
• Individual differences in language and cognitive development.
2. Cognitive and neurological underpinnings of bilingualism:
• Executive function, attention, and working memory differences as a function of graded bilingual experiences;
• Neuro- and psycholinguistic research examining bilingual language processing (e.g., eye-trakcing,EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS).
3. Social, cultural, and environmental influences:
• The impacts of family language policy, input quantity/quality, and socioeconomic factors on language and cognitive outcomes in bilingual children;
• The role of culture and identity in shaping bilingual development from linguistic and cognitive perspectives;
• Community and school interventions to foster bilingual language growth, focusing on how environmental factors shape individual differences in bilingual trajectories.
4. Longitudinal and lifespan perspectives:
• Trajectories of bilingual competence from infancy through adolescence;
• Links between early bilingualism, cognition, and later academic outcomes;
• The role of continued bilingual exposure and usage in shaping long-term language skills.

Dr. Maki Kubota
Dr. Kimberly Crespo
Dr. Adriana Weisleder
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• child bilingualism
• cognitive development
• language acquisition
• individual differences
• neurolinguistic methods
• socioemotional outcomes
• longitudinal studies