The Symposium
Bridging Bilingualism Research and Practice
May 7 & 8, 2026
From 9:00 am
The BRIDGES Symposium is the first academic event to bring together research and application in the area of individual differences in bilingualism.
The program will include two keynote lectures, three panel sessions featuring spoken presentations, two student poster sessions, and a roundtable discussion, with lunch provided on both days.
The events are designed to highlight diverse methodological and theoretical approaches, and foster dialogue between researchers and practitioners on topics central to the study and application of bilingualism
About BRIDGES
Why BRIDGES?
Research on individual differences focuses on studying phenomena we do not know how to, or cannot ever, control (Cronbach, 1957). Bilingualism and the many forms it can take certainly fits this definition.
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Interest for studying bilingualism variability has increased tremendously in the last few years, providing interesting insights and advances and increasing acceptance of the idea that bilingualism is variable, malleable, and ever evolving.
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While emerging research holds promising implications for practitioners and applied scientists working with bilinguals in clinical and educational settings, there remains a lack of accessible guidance on how to apply these new foundational findings or how they influence applied goals and outcomes.
BRIDGES emerges as the first dedicated space for experts in the field to discuss new approaches and future directions to understanding individual differences in bilingualism inside and outside the lab.
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The event is possible thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation. There are no fees for attendance or registration.
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2
20+
60+
2
Days
Speakers Expected
Poster Presentations
Expert Keynote Lectures
Keynote Speakers
We take pride in presenting distinguished keynote speakers from both research- and practice-focused backgrounds
Professor Gigi Luk
McGill University
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Dr. Luk's research focuses on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism across the lifespan.
She harnesses scientific findings on bilingualism to improve educational experiences for children from diverse language backgrounds.
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Professor Wilma Bucci
Adelphi University
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Dr. Bucci's research lies at the intersection of cognitive science, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy process research.
Her core contributions revolve around how emotional experience, nonverbal and verbal processes, and bodily/somatic aspects of experience link together in mental life and therapeutic change.
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Participate Online
Can't make it in person?
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While we'd love to have you support the event in person, BRIDGES will offer online access to limited symposium content live and post-event.
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You can opt to access this content when you register.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: JANUARY 20, 2026!
