Bilingual language control in oral language production: an overview and outlook.

Abstract

This review focuses on bilingual language control in oral language production, synthesizing key methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and its relationship with domain-general cognitive control. Although behavioral and neural studies have advanced understanding of the mechanisms involved, greater integration across approaches and the use of more ecologically valid methods remain necessary. Much of the current research emphasizes reactive control; however, exploring its interplay with proactive control may offer deeper insights into the dynamic nature of bilingual language control. In addition, future studies should move beyond the lexicon to explore higher linguistic levels and account for the diversity of bilingual experiences within broader theoretical frameworks, such as the bilingual framework proposed in this review. This would allow theoretical models to be enriched with a more comprehensive perspective.