Our Research

Bilingual children learn and use two or more languages. Their language experiences can vary depending on the languages spoken at home, at school, and in their communities. As a result, bilingual children may develop different strengths and abilities across their languages.

What is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)?

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a common condition in which children have persistent difficulties learning, understanding, and using language. These difficulties are not explained by another condition, such as hearing loss, autism, or intellectual disability, and they can affect children’s everyday communication, relationships, and learning at school.

Learning two languages does not cause DLD. Bilingual children with DLD have difficulties in all of their languages, not just one. Because bilingual children’s language experiences vary, it is important to consider both languages when determining whether a child may have DLD.

At the BOLD Lab, we study how bilingual children’s language abilities develop over time, including children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). We are particularly interested in understanding how children’s language experiences relate to their language development and how this information can help improve language assessment practices.

Code-switching occurs when bilingual speakers use more than one language during a conversation. It is a common feature of bilingual communication and does not, by itself, indicate a language disorder. Bilingual speakers may code-switch for different reasons, such as to express an idea, use a word that comes more easily in one language, or adjust to the language preferences of the person they are speaking with.

At the BOLD Lab, we study how and why bilingual children code-switch. We are particularly interested in how children’s language abilities and the language use of the people they communicate with influence their code-switching patterns. We also examine whether these patterns differ between children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD).

Families play an important role in children’s bilingual language development. Some families use one language at home, while others use multiple languages. These practices may reflect families’ beliefs about bilingualism, cultural identities, and the opportunities children have to use their languages.

At the BOLD Lab, we study families’ beliefs and experiences related to raising bilingual children. We are particularly interested in how caregivers make decisions about language use at home, their perspectives on their children’s code-switching, and how family language practices relate to children’s language experiences and development.