ABSTRACT
For young children, second language (L2) acquisition comes at a time when emergent language systems, and the neural mechanisms that support them, are in the active process of development. This chapter examines the multifaceted complexity of early L2 acquisition experiences and reviews key literature to better articulate the relationship between the young learner’s brain and language development. First, the chapter sheds light on the mechanisms that make early dual-language acquisition possible by considering theoretical frameworks on language, bilingualism, and brain development. Second, experience-based plasticity of the developing brain is discussed in relation to the vast variation in children’s L2 experiences. To conclude, the chapter demonstrates why a cohesive framework of childhood bilingualism and L2 development best informs our understanding of the developing mind and brain while recognizing the value that concentrated neurocognitive research on child L2 development and processing (at present largely lacking) would add to the field.
