A new paper in Psychology of Learning and Motivation!

A new paper authored by our lab members – prof. Zofia Wodniecka, dr Alba Casado, Patrycja Kałamała (PhD candidate), dr Marta Marecka, dr Kalinka Timmer and Agata Wolna (PhD candidate) – is now available: The dynamics of language experience and how it affects language and cognition. Click here for more information!

Abstract: Although research on bilingualism has attracted great scientific interest in recent decades, we still do not fully understand how bilinguals’ language experience impacts language access and cognitive functioning. Our goal is to demonstrate that being exposed to one language, even for a short time, can influence the ability to use the other language and also affect how efficiently we process non-linguistic information. In this chapter, we focus on two types of effects related to the prior language experience of bilinguals (so-called language after-effects): (1) the impact of exposure to the second language on native language processing; (2) the impact of bilinguals’ patterns of language use on cognitive control. For each topic, we review the available behavioral and neuropsychological evidence and discuss the possible sources of inconsistencies in the literature. Furthermore, we consider the implications of the available evidence for the current models of language “after-effects” and speculate about the possible convergence of mechanisms related to short- and long-term language experience.