Behavioral Sciences
The relationship between language and cognition in bilinguals is a rapidly evolving field, yet many questions remain about how these domains interact during early childhood. This Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of bilingual language acquisition and its cognitive and socioemotional correlates. We encourage submissions that move beyond simple bilingual-monolingual comparisons to explore individual differences, environmental influences, and neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning bilingual development.
We welcome contributions from diverse disciplines, including psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, education, and related fields. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Mechanisms of bilingual language acquisition (e.g., cross-linguistic transfer, code-switching, implicit vs. explicit learning)
- Cognitive and neurological underpinnings of bilingualism (e.g., executive function, attention, eye-tracking, EEG, fMRI)
- Social, cultural, and environmental influences (e.g., family language policy, input quantity/quality, socioeconomic factors)
- Longitudinal and lifespan perspectives (e.g., developmental trajectories, academic outcomes, sustained bilingual exposure)
We invite authors to submit an abstract by May 31st, 2025. Invitations to submit a manuscript will be sent by July 15th, 2025, and full manuscript submissions will be due by December 31st, 2025.
If you are interested in contributing, please let us know at your earliest convenience. Feel free to share this call with colleagues whose work aligns with these themes. We look forward to your submissions and to advancing the conversation on bilingualism and cognitive development.
Please see https://www.mdpi.com/journal/behavsci/special_issues/8UJITZ5654 for more information on abstract and manuscript submissions.