Childhood Bilingualism: Current Status and Future Directions

摘要

Primary purposes of the workshop were to initiate an open and ongoing discussion among key members of the research community, as well as across disciplines and research approaches, and across national boundaries, and to develop a research agenda that outlines major research questions, re-energizes research, and promotes the development of novel, creative approaches or approaches not seen traditionally in the area of bilingual language development. Opportunities to connect applied researchers and more theoretically inclined academic researchers to promote collaborations and increased communication were of particular interest. Participants were given the mandate to consider a research agenda for the field, not just for one agency. Therefore, participants were encouraged to make recommendations for future research that would cross traditional agency boundaries and most rapidly and effectively move the field forward. In this mandate, federal sponsors recognized that research needs are not necessarily program focused but would need to investigate basic questions such as how the brain acquires language, as well as more practical ones, and that even the most basic research should have eventual practical applications. The workshop began with presentations on the current state of the field, which set the stage for breakout groups to develop research questions, approaches, and priorities.