Flerspråkighet och tanke

Abstract

Does language influence the way we think and reason about reality? If so, what happens if you speak more than one language? These questions have been at the centre stage of the field of psycholinguistics since the early 2000’s. The aim of this article is to review the state-of-the-art in research on language and thought, focusing particularly on multilingualism. First, a historical overview of the field is provided, which serves as the backdrop against which current findings on multilingualism and cognitive processing are discussed. Subsequently, the article analyses how biographical variables, such as language proficiency, age of acquisition, and frequency of language use, may modulate the way in which language influences multilingual thought. The article closes by discussing specific issues in research on language and thought that merit further study.