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

Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

848
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.
848
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

845
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.
845
Language Development01:22

Language Development

977
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...
977
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

3.9K
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...
3.9K
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

1.1K
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.
1.1K
Language01:16

Language

954
Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
954

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The extended language network: Language-responsive brain areas whose contributions to language remain to be discovered.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Can language attrition be reversed: Evidence from speech perception and production.

Cognition·2026
Same author

Theta Power at 10 Months of Age Predicts Developmental Change in Language in Infants With and Without an Elevated Likelihood for Autism.

Developmental science·2026
Same author

Stimulus dependencies-rather than next-word prediction-can explain pre-onset brain encoding in naturalistic listening designs.

eLife·2026
Same author

Corrigendum to "Language context flexibly modulates language control mechanisms" [Cognition 272 (2026) 106488].

Cognition·2026
Same author

Controlling the photoactuation in free-standing polydopamine/rGO nanofilms.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same journal

People make graded judgments about the inconceivable.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

The self as an image: Appearance and belief in visual representations of one's own face.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Corrigendum to 'Consonant, vowel, and tone cues in early wordform recognition: Evidence from Cantonese-learning infants' [Cognition 275 (2026) 106624].

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Identifying distinct sources of whole number interference in children's decimal comparison: the role of numerical magnitude and inhibitory control.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Evidence for abstract spatial concept learning in young animals.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Blurred lines or clear boundaries? Synchrony and social dominance shape domain-specific self-other processing.

Cognition·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
07:36

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

16.5K

Language context flexibly modulates language control mechanisms.

Kalinka Timmer1, Agata Wolna2, Jakub Szewczyk3

  • 1Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Cognition
|February 20, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bilinguals adapt their language control mechanisms based on their immediate environment. Language context flexibly shapes speech production, with effects persisting even after the context changes.

Keywords:
Asymmetric switch costsBilingual language controlLanguage contextLanguage switchingReversed language dominance

More Related Videos

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

15.6K
Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
09:27

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
07:36

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

16.5K
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

15.6K
Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
09:27

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Psycholinguistics
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • Bilinguals utilize language control mechanisms for speech production.
  • The language-switching task (LST) measures asymmetric switch costs and reversed language dominance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if language environment (L1- or L2-dominant) affects language control indices.
  • To determine if these modulations persist after the switching task.

Main Methods:

  • Polish-English unbalanced bilinguals performed the LST in L1- and L2-dominant contexts.
  • Picture naming tasks were conducted pre- and post-LST to assess persistence of effects.

Main Results:

  • Language context modulated switch costs and language dominance.
  • L2-dominant contexts reversed switch cost asymmetry and decreased reversed dominance.
  • Language dominance reversed during LST and persisted post-LST.

Conclusions:

  • Immediate language context dynamically shapes bilingual language control mechanisms.
  • Control mechanisms are adaptive to contextual demands, not solely fixed traits.