How bilingual children learn new words when switching languages
Official title: Implicit Word Learning in Code-switched Contexts by Bilingual Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11241218 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how bilingual kids, especially those who speak both Spanish and English, learn new words when they switch between languages, and it’s designed for children aged four to six, including those with Developmental Language Disorder, to find out the best ways to help them improve their language skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $39,680 |
| NIH project number | 1F31DC023102-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241218 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are bilingual children aged four to six who speak both Spanish and English, including those with typical language development and those with Developmental Language Disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Children who are not bilingual or who are outside the age range of four to six years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how bilingual children, specifically those who speak both Spanish and English, learn new words when they switch between languages. The study focuses on children aged four to six, including those with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), to understand the impact of code-switching on their language acquisition. By comparing word learning in single-language versus code-switched contexts, the researchers aim to identify effective strategies for enhancing language skills in bilingual children. The methodology includes implicit learning tasks to assess word retention immediately and after a delay.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could improve language learning strategies for bilingual children, particularly those with developmental challenges.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding bilingual language development, but this specific focus on code-switching and implicit learning is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Slawny, Caitlyn M — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Slawny, Caitlyn M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Retrieval-based Word Learning for Young Children with Developmental Language Disorder
A project helps 4- to 5-year-olds with language disorder learn new words more effectively using memory-based learning tricks.
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Predicting Developmental Language Delay in Young Children
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Understanding how infants’ early speech becomes language skills and how it might signal language disorders
This grant studies how a baby’s brain learns sounds in the first year of life and whether early patterns can predict and prevent language disorders.
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Language in adults with and without Developmental Language Disorder
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-
Understanding short-term verbal memory in children and adults with Developmental Language Disorder
A study to understand the memory and language links in people with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) across kids and adults.
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Computer-assisted bilingual vocabulary help for kids with language disorder
A computer-assisted program helps monolingual clinicians teach bilingual Spanish-English vocabulary to emergent bilingual children with developmental language disorder.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.