Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development

746
The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending...
746
Language Development01:22

Language Development

775
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
775
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

665
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
665
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

698
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
698
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

911
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
911
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

3.2K
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
3.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Intra- and peri-meniscal polynucleotide injections for the treatment of symptomatic degenerative meniscus of the knee: 1-year findings from a prospective clinical trial.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2025
Same author

Reply.

Lipids·2016
Same author

Complementary clinical effects of red complex bacteria on generalized periodontitis in a caucasian population.

Oral diseases·2016
Same author

Obesity, weight change, and risk of adenoma recurrence: a prospective trial.

Endoscopy·2012
Same author

A high-legume low-glycemic index diet reduces fasting plasma leptin in middle-aged insulin-resistant and -sensitive men.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2011
Same author

Serum cytokine concentrations, flavonol intake and colorectal adenoma recurrence in the Polyp Prevention Trial.

British journal of cancer·2010
Same journal

Perceptual asymmetries in the development of lexical tone perception in Thai-learning children.

Journal of child language·2026
Same journal

To bind or not to bind: Individual differences in pronominal processing among adolescent Mandarin-English heritage speakers.

Journal of child language·2026
Same journal

Influence of Visual Context Stability on Word Learning in Fourteen- and Nineteen-Month-Old Children.

Journal of child language·2026
Same journal

Revisiting the Acquisition of Conditionals: Children's and Adults' Expression of Hypothetical Thought.

Journal of child language·2026
Same journal

The effect of distributional information on the categorization of unaccusativity.

Journal of child language·2026
Same journal

Examining the Robustness and Generalizability of the Shape Bias: A Meta-Analysis.

Journal of child language·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

15.5K

Can bilingual two-year-olds code-switch?

E Lanza1

  • 1Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, University of Oslo, Norway.

Journal of Child Language
|October 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bilingual two-year-olds can code-switch, demonstrating language differentiation. This study highlights the importance of context and language dominance in early bilingual development, challenging prior assumptions.

More Related Videos

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.0K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

34.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

15.5K
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.0K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

34.9K

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psycholinguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Bilingualism Research

Background:

  • Previous research often viewed language mixing in two-year-olds as a lack of language differentiation.
  • Sociolinguistics offers a framework to re-examine early bilingual language mixing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate language mixing in a two-year-old simultaneously acquiring Norwegian and English.
  • To apply sociolinguistic perspectives to analyze the child's language use.
  • To determine if the child demonstrates code-switching abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with monthly recordings of spontaneous speech from age 2;0 to 2;7.
  • Analysis of formal aspects and contextual sensitivity of language mixing.
  • Focus on a single case of simultaneous bilingual acquisition in Norway.

Main Results:

  • The bilingual two-year-old demonstrated contextually sensitive language differentiation.
  • Evidence suggests the child possesses code-switching capabilities.
  • Language mixing patterns were observed to be nuanced.

Conclusions:

  • Young bilingual children, even at two years old, can differentiate and switch between languages.
  • Dominance and context play crucial roles in the language mixing of young bilinguals.
  • Re-evaluating early bilingual language mixing through a sociolinguistic lens is essential.