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REVIEW article

Front. Lang. Sci.
Sec. Bilingualism
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/flang.2025.1515283

Code-Switching and Cognitive Control: A Review of Current Trends and Future Directions

Provisionally accepted
Basak Özkara Basak Özkara 1,2*Gülay Cedden Gülay Cedden 1,3Christiane Von Stutterheim Christiane Von Stutterheim 1Patric Meyer Patric Meyer 1,2
  • 1 Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 2 SRH Hochschule Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
  • 3 Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Ankara, Türkiye

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Bilinguals frequently switch between their languages, a phenomenon known as code-switching (CS). CS is supposed to interact with cognitive control, making theories of cognitive control crucial for understanding bilinguals' CS behavior. This article reviews four prominent frameworks of cognitive control as they pertain to CS. We critically assess each framework and examine empirical studies that test their predictions. In doing so, we highlight the strengths and limitations of these models, ultimately discussing their compatibility. We conclude by proposing avenues for future research and suggesting potential pathways towards developing a comprehensive framework of cognitive control in CS.

    Keywords: bilingualism, code-switching, cognitive control, adaptive control hypothesis, Control process model

    Received: 22 Oct 2024; Accepted: 06 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Özkara, Cedden, Von Stutterheim and Meyer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Basak Özkara, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.