1. Introduction

The chapter introduces the topic of language aging and the changes that occur in cognitive and physiological abilities as people age. It discusses the advancements in technology that have led to a surge in research interest in language and aging. The chapter also outlines the methodology used in the study, including the application of scientometrics and CiteSpace to analyze the literature from 2013 to 2022. Key aspects to be investigated include thematic patterns, pivotal articles, and emerging trends in the studies of language and aging from a cognitive perspective.

2. Methodology

This chapter describes the methodology used, including data collection and methods for analysis. The data collection process is detailed, including the search terms used and the search scope. The chapter also discusses the methods for analysis, including document co-citation analysis, Freeman's betweenness centrality, and Kleinberg's burst detection algorithm, all of which were implemented to visualize thematic patterns, pivotal points of paradigm shift, and emerging trends.

3. Results

The network generated from the document co-citation analysis is clear-structured and convincing. The 12 largest clusters out of a total of 58 clusters are displayed with labels for each cluster extracted from the keyword. The timeline view of the 12 largest clusters shows the prevailing clusters currently. Through document co-citation analysis, 12 major clusters were identified, with some receiving more attention due to their relatively large size. These clusters pertain to cognition, bilingualism, speech production, listening effort, reading comprehension, speech comprehension, Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, cochlear implants, sentence processing, phonological awareness, and pragmatics. The cognition cluster primarily pertains to working memory and its impact on speech perception and understanding. The bilingualism cluster focuses on the debate surrounding bilingual advantages, with emphasis on improved experiment design and participant selection. The speech production cluster studies difficulties in speech production, particularly in the aging population.

4. Discussion

This chapter outlined and explored the evolution of studies on language and aging from 2013 to 2022, emphasizing the relationship between cognition and language abilities. It identified major clusters, pivotal articles, and emerging trends. The studies of language and aging mainly focus on the relationship between cognition and language abilities and cognitive impairment, especially dementia. The chapter also highlighted three emerging trends: progress in statistical methods, the relationship between language and cognitive impairment, and the interplay between language abilities and cognition. The studies on the relationship between language abilities and cognition have a solid foundation and are becoming an emerging trend.

5. Conclusion

The study outlines the development of language and aging studies from a cognitive perspective using CiteSpace, identifying clusters and trends. It suggests further research on factors impacting language and aging, longitudinal studies, and expanding linguistic descriptions. It also calls for more in-depth examination of clusters and pivotal articles, and for future studies to take various perspectives into account for a better understanding.