What can returnee bilinguals teach us about the flexibility of linguistic competence?

In her talk, Aylin Coşkun Kunduz addresses a central question in bilingualism and language acquisition, namely how flexible bilingual grammars can be. Drawing on data from bilinguals and monolinguals, she examines how linguistic competence can change with renewed immersion. Additionally, she revisits the Critical Period Hypothesis by exploring whether early exposure alone ensures full language acquisition or whether sustained, high-quality input later in life also plays a decisive role. Her findings shed new light on the enduring adaptability of linguistic competence in bilingual speakers across the lifespan.