ABSTRACT
The chapter provides an overview of the role of cognitive processing in bilinguals for language contact. It, therefore, outlines current trends in studying cognitive factors in bilingualism. In particular, taking a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory perspective, it claims that bilingualism should be considered as a process rather than a fixed state: using one language will affect other languages that an individual has incorporated, e.g., more use of the L1 may lead to a decline of skills in the L2 and vice versa. In essence, contact between languages in an individual speaker can lead to all sorts of processes: language development, but also decline or stagnation.
