An Overview of Research in Bilingualism: Publication Records and Global Needs

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the nature of research publication in the field of speech and language science during the last 20 years. Thirteen journals were reviewed to explore three questions: what was the frequency of bilingualism research publications in speech and language journals? What was the relative distribution of research focus offered to different world languages in bilingualism research? What was the nature of focus offered to various themes of enquiries within the realm of bilingualism? Review of publication history suggests that relatively less research attention was allocated to bilingualism during last 20 years compared to issues related to monolingualism. Maximum number of publication was observed between the year 1998 and 2007. English has been the primary language investigated as an first language (L1) and also as a second language (L2) of both the experimental and the control groups. Amongst different linguistic constructs syntax has received maximum attention. Thus, against the backdrop of global linguistic distribution and also within the United States, it is imperative to distribute research focusing on bilingualism and understand intricacies of L1-L2 interactions through the lenses of different world languages.