Abstract: Bilingualism has been put forward as a life experience that may boost cognitiveperformance and slow down age-related cognitive decline. In more recent years,bilingualism has come to be acknowledged not as a trait but as a highlyindividual experience where the context of use strongly modulates any cognitiveeffect that ensues from it. In addition, modulating factors have been shown tointeract in intricate ways. Adding to the complexity is the fact that controlprocesses linked to bilingualism are bidirectional—just as language control can influencecognitive control, individual differences in cognitive functioning predictlanguage learning outcomes and control. The aim of this talk is to shed lighton the bidirectional and individual cognitive, social and linguistic factors inrelation to bilingualism and second language learning, with a special focus onolder adulthood. We present (ongoing) studies within the Bilingualism and Aginglab in Groningen which make use of randomized controlled trials to show thecognitive and social effects of introducing a bilingual experience later inlife as opposed to other intervention types such as musical training. Weinvestigate this in healthy older adult cohorts but also in (pre)clinicalpopulations of elderly experiencing memory and/or mood problems. Byinvestigating the effects of late-life second language learning as opposed tolifelong bilingualism, we aim to shed more light on the mechanisms underlyingthe benefits of bilingualism as a life experience, especially as it pertains tocognitive reserve in older adulthood.
Speaker Bio: Merel Keijzer is a full professor of English Linguistics and English as asecond language at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She alsoholds a post there as Rosalind Franklin Research Fellow. She teaches courses onsecond language development and teaching methodologies of foreign languagecourses. Her research interests include the socio-affective and cognitiveeffects of bilingual life experiences, with a special focus on older adulthood.In recent years, she has looked at the effects of third-age language learningon cognitive and mental health, both in healthy seniors and (pre)clinicalsenior populations with memory and/or mood complaints. In addition to her workin Groningen, Merel Keijzer is also a member of the National Young Academy ofthe Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences.Time: 17:00-18:30, December 20, 2021Tencent Meeting ID: 798425003Moderator: Dr. JIN Yinxing