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Multilanguage and Cognition Lab

Understanding how multilanguage acquisition can reshape our mind.

The Multilanguage and Cognition Lab (MULTAC) is formed by a team of researchers interested in studying multilanguage acquisition and its effects on cognitive development across the lifespan.

Language is literally the stuff of life. The more you can speak of other people's languages, the more you can be part of their lives and enrich your own."
Our mission

Background

Throughout history, philosophers, educators, health professionals, linguists and psychologists advocated either disadvantages or advantages of 'being bilingual'.

Still today, bilingual and multilingual school children in the UK are labeled as EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils, which arguably implies a vaguely negative connotation or the categorisation of multilingual learners as having some sort of ‘special needs’.

Anecdotally, there are still cases in which educators discourage multilingual families to raise their children as multilinguals. We reject this argument, and instead encourage researchers in this field to engage with parents and educators.

Today, it is estimated that a large majority of people in the world speak two or more languages, and that this majority is destined to grow as a consequence of migration flows and globalised employment opportunities.

Multilanguage learning

Multilanguage learning is an inevitable real life global phenomenon, and the impact of this escalating trend on cognition deserves careful and thorough analysis.

At MULTAC, we adopt a sophisticated developmental approach, including quantitative, qualitative and neuroimaging methods to study the effects of a multilinguistic experience across the lifespan.

Lab members

Academic staff

  • ʰǴڱǰ, IOE(Lab Director)
  • Professor , IOE, London (Lab Co-Director)
  • Professor , Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (Lab Co-Director)
  • Dr , IOE, London
  • Professor , University of Florence (Italy)
  • Dr , University of Cambridge
  • Dr Andrea Ceccolini, independent researcher, London
  • Dr , UCL, London
  • Dr , IOE, London
  • Dr Xuran Han, University of Greenwich, London
  • Dr , IOE and Northeastern University, London
  • ٰMagdalena Kachlicka, Birkbeck
  • Dr Yarden Kedar, Cornell University (USA) andBeit Berl College (Israel)
  • Dr , IOE
  • Dr , Goldsmith, London
  • Dr , University of Trento, Italy
  • Dr , King's College London
  • ٰ, University of Florence (Italy)
  • Dr , IOE
  • Dr Jackie Phelps, University of Cambridge
  • Dr Christian Tarchi, University of Florence, Italy
  • Dr , Birkbeck College, London
  • Dr , University of Florence, Italy
  • Dr , UCL
  • Professor Li Wei, IOE, London
  • ʰǴڱǰ, IOE, London
  • ٰChristos Pliatsikas,University of Reading, UK
  • Dr Gigi Luk,McGill University,Montreal

PhD students

  • Orianna Bairaktari, IOE
  • Katherine Oberc, IOE
  • Lewis Liu, UCL
  • ,UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
  • Alina Marinca, IOE
  • Alice Mercugliano, University of Florence
  • Kamila Naeem, IOE
  • , IOE
  • , IOE
  • Silvia Purpuri, University of Trento, Italy
  • Costanza Ruffini, University of Florence, Italy
  • Serena Shi, UCL
  • Jiamu Li, IOE
  • Tianyi Wang, IOE
  • Giada Bassoli, IOE
Research projects

Ongoing projects

  • Is the bilingual advantage linked to the depth of knowledge of two languages? –Roberto Filippi & Lucia Bigozzi – UCL Global Exchange Funds
  • The impact of COVID-19 on early literacy and numeracy amongst disadvantaged pupils in Israel –Roberto Filippi, Li Wei andYarden Kedar
  • Effects of biliteracy on cognitive and social development in school children –Kasia Oberc, Li Wei andRoberto Filippi
  • The relationship between linguistic experience and cognitive control in adulthood –Xuran Han, Li Wei andRoberto Filippi
  • Cognitive effects of multilanguage acquisition in ADHD children –Chris Pelz, Emily Midouhas andRoberto Filippi

Completed projects

  • Raising bilingual children
  • Multilanguage acquisition across the lifespan
  • Early Years Oral Language and Communication: Supporting improvements in professional practice and understanding of high quality adult/child interactions in the Early Years setting to improve attainment in Key Stage 1
Publications

2024

Filippi, R., Ceccolini, A., Perry, R.C., Thomas, M.S.C. (2024). The impact of multilingualism and socio-economic status on academic performance: Evidence from the SCAMP and the National Pupil databases. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism..

Purpuri, S., Vasta, N., Filippi, R., Treccani, B., Li W. and Mulatti, C. (2024). The Foreign Language Effect on Core Knowledge Confusion, Superstition and Conspiracy. The role of semantic acquisition in second language learning. International Journal of Bilingualism

Creed, E., Filippi, R., Holliman, A.J. (2024). Teaching bilingually: Unlocking the academic and cognitive potentials –Teachers' insight. Education Sciences.

Purpuri, S., Mulatti, C., Filippi, R., Treccani, B. (2024). Inside the Kaleidoscope: unravelling the “feeling different” experience of bicultural bilinguals. Frontiers in Psychology

Han, X., Li, W., Filippi, R. (2024). Modulating bilingual language production and cognitive control: how bilingual language experience matters. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition

2023

Lerner, I., Guijarro-Fuentes, P., Filippi, R., Li, F., Schwieter, J.W. (2023). New Ideas in Language Sciences: Language Acquisition

Purpuri, S., Vasta, N., Filippi, R., Li W. and Mulatti, C. (2023). Does language shape the way we think? A review of the Foreign Language Effect across domains. International Journal of Bilingualism

Purpuri, S., Vasta, N., Li W., Filippi, R., Mulatti, C. (2023). The Foreign Language Effect on Tolerance of Ambiguity. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition

2022

Filippi, R., Bright, P. . Ampersand, 100097.

Han, X., Li, W., Filippi, R., (2022). . International Journal of Bilingualism, doi.org/10.1177/13670069221102011.

Filippi, R., Ceccolini, A., Booth, E., Shen, C., Thomas, M.S.C., Toledano, M.B. & Dumontheil, I. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.

Han, X., Li, W., Filippi, R., (2022). . Bilingualism: Language & Cognition, doi.org/10.1017/S1366728922000244.

Mercure, E., Bright, P., Quiroz, I., Filippi, R. (2022). Effect of infant bilingualism on audiovisual integration in a McGurk task. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

Mercure, E., Bright, P., Quiroz, I., Filippi, R. (2022). . Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

2021

Filippi, R., Bright, P., (2021). Cognitive Reserve and Language Experience: Frontiers in Psychology.

Filippi, R., Ceccolini, A., Bright, P., (2021). . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

2020

Filippi, R., Ceccolini, A., Periche-Tomas, E., Bright, P., (2020). . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1747021820931096.

Filippi, R., Periche Tomas, E., Papageorgiou, A., & Bright, P. (2020). PloS one, 15(4), e0231288.

Filippi, R., Ceccolini, A., Periche-Tomas, E., Papageorgiou, A., Bright, P. (2020). . Cognition.

Phelps, J., Filippi, R. (2020). The multilingual world: building a bridge between science and education. Educational neuroscience volume on lifespan, individual differences, and enhancing cognition. Denis Mareschal, Iroise Dumontheil and Michael Thomas. Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis).

Filippi, R., Periche-Tomas, E., Papageorgiou, A., Bairaktari, O., Bright, P. (2020). . The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (Oxford University Press).

2019

Ouzia, J., Bright, P., Filippi, R. (2019). . Behavioural Sciences.

Bright, P., Filippi, R (2019). . Frontiers in Psychology,doi/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01346

Filippi, R., D’Souza, D. & Bright, P. (2019). . Contemporary Studies in Bilingualism and Multilingualism (Masayo Yamamoto Eds). Sage Publications

Bright, P., Ouzia, J., Filippi, R. (2019). . In John W. Schwieter (Ed.) The Handbook of the Neuroscience of Multilingualism. Wiley-Blackwell

2018

Filippi, R., D'Souza, D., & Bright, P. (2018). International Journal of Bilingualism, 1–13

Filippi, R. (2018). First Language, 38, 669-671. doi:10.1177/0142723718802034

Papageorgiou, A., Bright, P., Periche Tomas, E., & Filippi, R. (2018). Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1–10 doi:10.1177/1747021818796475

Mercure, E., Quiroz, I., Goldberg, L., Bowden-Howl, H., Coulson, K., Gliga, T.,Macsweeney, M. (2018). Frontiers in Psychology, 9 ARTN 1943. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01943

D'Souza, D., & Filippi, R. (2018). First Language. 37, 518–529. doi:10.1177/0142723717720038

Naeem, K., Filippi, R., Periche-Tomas, E., Papageorgiou, A., & Bright, P. (2018). Frontiers in Psychology, 9, ARTN 1818. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01818

2017

D'Souza, D. & Filippi, R. (2017). . First Language Acquisition.

2016

Folke, T., Ouzia, J., Bright, P., De Martino, B. & Filippi, R. (2016).. Cognition, 150, 119–132

Kerrigan, L., Thomas, M.S.C., Bright, P., & Filippi, R. (2016). . Bilingualism: Language & Cognition, 1–11

2015

Filippi, R., Morris, J., Richardson, F., Bright, P., Thomas, M.S.C, Karmiloff-Smith, A., and Marian, V. (2015). . Bilingualism: Language & Cognition, 18(03), 490–501.

Filippi, R. (2015). Antecollis: case report. Reactions, 1573, 182–17.

2014

Filippi, R., Rasetti, M., Lenzi, M., Bright, P. (2014). . Oxford Medical Case Report, 2014(1), 8–10

2013

Filippi, R., Karaminis, T., Thomas, M.S.C. (2013). Bilingual language switching in production: empirical and computational studies. Bilingualism: Language & Cognition, 17, 294–315

2012

Filippi, R., Leech, R., Thomas, M.S.C., Green, D.W., and Dick, F.,(2012). . Bilingualism: Language & Cognition, 15(04), 858–872

2011

Filippi, R., Richardson, F., Dick, F., Leech, R., Green, D.W., Thomas, M.S.C., and Price, C.J.(2011). . Journal of Neuroscience, 31(29): 10732–10740

2009

Richardson, F., Thomas, M.S.C, F., Filippi, R., Harth, H., and Price, C.J. (2009). Contrasting effects on vocabulary knowledge on temporal and parietal brain structures across lifespan. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 83, 109–113.

Public engagement
  • –A Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series 2022-2023
  • Growing Up bilingual How may we use our understanding to help bilingual children towards optimum development?–Talk by Dr Roberto Filippi. Sponsored by the British Psychological Society | 23 June 2022.
  • –Keynote lecture by Dr Roberto Filippi. Communication & Language Acquisition Studies in Typical & Atypical populations (CLASTA) conference, University of Florence in Italy |13–15 May 2022.
  • –Talk by Dr Roberto Filippi. Sponsored by the British Psychological Society |25 February 2022.
  • Multilingualism: an investment in our children’s future. Bloomsbury Festival.By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.
  • The impact of Multilingualism and Socio-Economic Status on Academic Performance in the UK – Psyched in Education Celebration. By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.
  • The bilingual brain. Invited talk at the Kensington Wade School. By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.
  • Multilingual Question Time. Panel meeting with parents and educators of multilingual children – The Tapscott Learning Trust. Filippi, R., De Houwer, A., Chow, B|2024.
  • The impact of multilingualism on brain and behaviour. Key note lecture at the University of Warsaw, Poland. By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.
  • The impact of multilingual upbringing on brain and behaviour. Key note lecture at the University Centre of Maghnia, Algeria.By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.
  • Tra lingue e menti: l'Impatto del multilinguismo sulla crescita cognitiva e l’evoluzione della mente attraverso l'arco della vita. Key note lecture at the University of Florence, Italy.By Dr Roberto Filippi|2024.

Conferences

–Dr Xuran Han

Dr Xuran Han presented her latest research co-authored with Professor Li Wei and Professor Roberto Filippi on how bilingual language use experience affects adults' spontaneous language production behaviours and their domain-general cognitive control.

The study highlighted the importance of language use experience in modulating bilinguals’ deployments of cognitive control in language processing. By shedding light on the adaptation of cognitive and behavioural responses to individual's language use and experience, the outcome of this research furthers scientific understanding on the cognitive mechanisms underlying language processing, and consequently assist the improvement in language and cognition assessments, as well as in clinical language therapy.

" To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world."

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