We have delved into the multidimensional characteristics of bilingualism, including the language abilities, cognitive processes, and socio-cultural backgrounds of bilinguals. The book covers the key stages of bilingual development, from early childhood bilingual acquisition to the maintenance and transformation of adult bilinguals. Meanwhile, the impact of bilingualism on individual cognitive abilities, such as executive function and language control, was discussed. In addition, bilingual education policies and practices were analyzed, as well as the social significance of bilingualism in the context of globalization.

1. Introduction

The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingual Studies, authored by Professors A. De Houwer and L. Ortega, was published in 2019 and covers interdisciplinary bilingual research topics such as applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, and education. It is an authoritative work in the field of bilingual studies. The book consists of 6 themes and 27 chapters, providing comprehensive content and an interdisciplinary perspective for bilingual research.

2. Content Overview

Chapter 1 explores the bilingual development of infants and young children, including language development trajectories, speech recognition, vocabulary learning, and other aspects. Chapter 2 discusses the interaction between bilingual individuals from different backgrounds and their environment, involving immigrant children, ethnic minorities, language intermediaries, etc. Chapter 3 focuses on the language learning and use of bilingual youth aged 20-40 in a new country, analyzing the language choices of bilingual couples and parents. Chapter 4 explores the language learnability of adult bilinguals and highlights the importance of adult brain plasticity in the development of bilingual abilities. Chapter 5 investigates language changes, selective use, and mother tongue maintenance in elderly bilinguals.

3. Brief review

The book adopts the definition of inclusive bilinguals and comprehensively covers all stages of the life cycle, providing rich information on the psychological mechanisms, language learning, and education of bilinguals. The book balances macro social research and micro psychological research, integrates interdisciplinary achievements, covers multiple language types, forms, and usage environments, and provides a broad perspective for future research. The author team is composed of 40 international experts to ensure the quality and authority of the research. As an important interdisciplinary bilingual research work, it provides new perspectives and ideas for related fields.