Proactive Control in Bilingual Language Switching: Evidence from Cue-Based Preparation in Croatian-German Children

Abstract

This study investigates a previously unexplored aspect of bilingual language control in young children: the ability to engage proactive control mechanisms during language switching. Using a novel cued language-switching paradigm, we examined whether Croatian-German bilingual children aged 4–11 can utilize advance preparation time to facilitate language switching, and whether this ability varies with age. Thirty-nine bilingual children completed a picture-naming task in which a language cue (flag) either appeared simultaneously with the target picture (no preparation) or preceded it by a brief interval (preparation possible). Results revealed a significant cue benefit, with children responding faster when given advance preparation time. This benefit was present across the sampled age range and was observed in every child who completed both cue conditions, suggesting that even the youngest children in our sample (4–6 years; n = 7) were able to use anticipatory information to prepare their responses. Additionally, we observed reliable switch costs (switch > stay) that did not differ detectably by target language or language dominance, alongside mixing costs that were modulated by group, a pattern partly attributable to baseline naming differences. These findings provide preliminary evidence that anticipatory preparation processes in bilingual language switching may emerge early in development. The results have important implications for understanding the interplay between bilingual experience, cognitive development, and the emergence of anticipatory control mechanisms in childhood.