Language and Cognitive Aspects of Child Bilingualism

This book explores the interface between language, cognition, and bilingualism through the lens of cognitive linguistics. It emphasizes how language conveys information about the “projected world” rather than the immediate real world, highlighting the mental representations and conceptual frameworks underlying communication. By integrating experimental findings with theoretical insights, the volume advances a nuanced perspective on how language shapes thought, supporting a moderated form of the Whorfian hypothesis.

Key Features:

• Distinguishes clearly between the real world and the projected world in linguistic communication.
• Examines the cognitive processes underlying bilingualism, including how multiple languages interact in the mind.
• Discusses relatively unexplored topics such as gender systems in bilingual cognition, context and task effects, and blending of concepts.
• Explores the interplay between lexical categorization and ontological categorization.
• Integrates experimental results with theoretical claims, providing evidence for a weak form of linguistic relativity.
• Highlights the role of synergic concepts in shaping meaning across languages.
• Offers a comprehensive, research-informed perspective valuable for linguists, cognitive scientists, and psycholinguists.