Cognitive Control Mechanisms in Uzbek-English Bilingualism: Neurolinguistic Correlates

Bilingual cognitive control represents one of the most actively investigated domainsat the intersection of neurolinguistics, cognitive psychology, and applied linguistics.The present theoretical and systematic review examines the neurolinguisticunderpinnings of cognitive control in Uzbek-English bilinguals, with particularattention to inhibitory control, task-switching, and working memory as coreexecutive functions engaged during language management. Drawing on evidencefrom EEG/ERP studies, fMRI neuroimaging research, and behavioral paradigmsdocumented in the bilingualism literature, the study critically synthesizes currentmodels of bilingual language control—including the Inhibitory Control Model, theAdaptive Control Hypothesis, and the Bilingual Language Interaction Network forComprehension and Speaking. The review further explores domain-general versus domain-specific interpretations of the proposed bilingual cognitive advantage,examining how the typological distance between Uzbek (a Turkic, agglutinativelanguage) and English (an Indo-European, analytic language) may modulate theneural and cognitive demands of language switching and selection. Findings indicatethat Uzbek-English bilinguals recruit prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortexnetworks during inhibitory suppression of the non-target language, and thatswitching asymmetry effects differ systematically across L1-to-L2 and L2-to-L1directions. Methodological recommendations, pedagogical implications, and futureresearch directions targeting underrepresented Turkic-English bilingual populationsare discussed.