Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta

Dr. Zavaleta is psycholinguist in cognitive psychology. Her research expertise lies at the intersection of psychology and linguistics with a focus on bilingualism and second language acquisition (SLA). Specifically, she is interested in how an adult speaker learns and uses two or more languages. 

When an individual uses a language, they rely on complicated cognitive processes to serve the ability to understand what someone is saying in the target language (the process of comprehension) and to be able to respond in the target language (the process of production). Dr. Zavaleta's research projects examine language learning aptitude and language use by measuring both of these processes in a variety of methods.

In addition to her teaching and research pursuits, Dr Zavaleta is co-host of "The Language Scientists" Podcast, a scholarly podcast aimed at encouraging language learning in the UK (and worldwide!). 

I am currently accepting applications for PhD supervision - please email and get in touch!

Institute for Psychological Science

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (2025, March 24-25). Podcasting as an impact and research tool: Lessons from The Language Scientists [Poster session]. Bilingualism Matters Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

Zavaleta, K.L. (2023, March 9-11). Novel language learners performed best in production task for nouns when producing a determiner-adjective-noun phrase [Poster session]. International Conference for Psychological Science (ICPS), Brussels, Belgium.

Zavaleta, K. L. (2023, January 4-6). The importance of measuring speech production [Platform presentation]. Experimental Psychology Society (EPS) Meeting, London, United Kingdom/Online.

Zavaleta, K. L., & Nicol, J. L. (2018). Effects of second language proficiency and working memory span on novel language learning. Journal of Second Language Studies, 1(1), 79-105.

Enkin, E., Nicol, J., Brooks, Z., and Zavaleta, K.L. (2017). Word frequency effects in L2 Spanish reading: Tracking eye movements. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 17(1).

Zavaleta, K. L. (2014). The role of executive control in language learning (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (ProQuest No. 1614168862).

Zavaleta, K. L. (2011). Unintentional language switches in bilinguals and L2 learners. (Unpublished Master's thesis). University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

Bilingualism and multilingualism, Second Language Acquisition (SLA), language production, speech errors, cognitive control, language switching, and individual differences.

Research methods, Cognitive psychology, Psycholinguistics

PhD and MA in Cognition and Neural Systems in Psychology at University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ; BA in Linguistics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PSYC 1100: Professional Skills for Psychologists, PSYC 2100: Mind, Brain, and Behaviour, MSRH 5001: Fundamentals of Quantitative Research Methods, PSYC 5711: Research Methods for Understanding and Evaluating Psychological Wellbeing, PSYC 5102: Mind and Society

British Psychological Society (2022 - present), CPsychol

American Psychological Society (2020-2022), member

Psychonomic Society (2019-2022), member

Society for the Teaching of Psychology (2014-2016, 2020), member

American Association for Applied Linguistics (2013-2016, 2020), member

American Association for Public Opinion Research (2018-2019), member

Midwestern Psychological Association (2014-2016), member

Linguistic Society of America (2008-2009), student member

Bilingualism Matters Symposium 2025

2021-2022 British Academy Talent Development Award, PI, “The Future is multilingual: Developing language skills and expanding research engagement”. 

2023-2024 Higher Education Innovation Fund, Co-PI. 

2023-2024 Institute for Psychological Sciences Fund, Principal Investigator, “WM as a predictor for categorial language learning”

2022-2023 ‘Living in a Digital Society’ ‘Spotlight’ Fund, Digital Lifespan, co-PI, “The barriers to successful language learning: A digital conversion using podcasts”.

2020-2024, Institute for Psychological Sciences Fund, PI, “Language control and unintentional switches”.

0000-0001-7485-3880

I am the co-host of the scholarly podcast, "The Language Scientists podcast". These podcast episodes disseminate my research and others’ work in order to raise awareness and education about how language learning is studied, the importance of language learning, and to share recent research from academia with the general public in a useful, accessible method. The podcast can be found here (https://languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk). 

Series 1

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (24 Sep 2022). Meet “The Language Scientists” [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/efb2eb84-d791-46cc-85fa-b4d93c3b7904/ 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (31 Oct 2022). Beyond the classroom: Informal language learning. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/82808349-7b33-41cf-9a89-6a609e257fe0 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (31 Oct 2022). Tracking eye movements provides insight into language knowledge [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/d2f78b2e-0999-45db-893d-e1961e8c92aa 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M.-J.  (Hosts). (31 Oct 2022). Tired of Memorising to Learn New Words? Just Read! [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/383b5707-a0f0-4722-b5fe-de5479a5f964 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (31 Oct 2022). Thinking outside the box to assess language knowledge. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e0ef3341-5e1f-451e-91f4-9f2ebbd2e4bd 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M.-J.  (Hosts). (02 Nov 2022). Virtual reality for language learning. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f6dd81f4-3483-4e06-9e6b-d411e48f011f 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (03 Nov 2022). Training your ear for a new language. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/b7d48145-61cd-4e00-9296-1c0d73ea7cf2 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (04 Nov 2022). Designing a language study: Assigning students to groups. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e4d2232f-5772-4fc8-8b98-dc25d4ae4b13 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (07 Nov 2022). “What’s the word again?”: Mistakes can show knowledge and fluency [Audio podcast episode]. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/32a529d6-7e1c-4900-904c-8340f254aecd 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M.-J.  (Hosts). (08 Nov 2022). Mouse-tracking: How to study language online. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/45422a7a-f49d-4a43-86bd-4766efd1d637 

Series 2

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M.-J. (Hosts). (03 Jul 2023). How does this word look to you? [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a3557235-7057-4641-88f5-ee5ad289109f 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (10 Jul 2023). Keeping our brains tidy [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2cd124b0-2cdd-4c88-8b82-b6e69ec44e29 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M.-J. (Hosts). (17 Jul 2023). “Hello” or “How do you do?” Is there a rule? [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/fb6bcc25-f33a-4f33-8ae6-971cdf40f007 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (24 Jul 2023). Reviving language learning in the UK [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dfd9bf69-d5dd-418a-a422-5e7b7a0a91fe 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (31 Jul 2023). Learning the words that matter. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2e9d5c15-e7fc-4e0d-978c-f6af35bdbf23 

Series 3

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (25 Jun 2024). Raising bilingual children. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f435e9d3-e098-4633-bfb2-15ae7fc2adc8 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (01 Jul 2024). Who is a heritage language speaker [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/4f2bfddf-7725-427c-8cfc-2465e3cd780c 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (08 Jul 2024). Nurturing heritage languages in the community: Part 1. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/01defbc7-211c-42c8-bcef-c65e7ed1da3d 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (15 Jul 2024). Nurturing heritage languages in the community: Part 2. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c7b75aa7-08cd-4b3e-a6b5-96de3914bdb8 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (22 Jul 2024). Heritage language speakers in the classroom. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dbb86e74-5a58-487a-a816-378940050403 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (02 Sep 2024). Using multiple languages in the classroom. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/fd256e0a-a7ab-46b3-9c7e-13b61915961c 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (09 Sep 2024). Language choices at home [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1acadf63-b1d6-4d6c-85e7-20422ae232bb 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (16 Sep 2024). Benefits of bilingualism [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/51d566ba-4ca0-47bd-922c-40ba8a74f4ba 

Zavaleta, K.L. and Bisson, M-J. (Hosts). (23 Sep 2024). Multilingual Leicester [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dcc8844d-9949-42c8-a2c7-320d127ee9d1 

Bisson, M-J. and Zavaleta, K.L. (Hosts). (30 Sept 2024). Supporting heritage languages: The why and how. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Language Scientists Podcast. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e0056022-7ff7-40a3-8b7f-d22866941b1f 

Frontiers for Young Minds reviewer and science mentor (2024  - present) 

Architectures and Mechanisms of Language Processing (AMLaP) conference reviewer (2024-present)

Gateway Papers  reviewer (2024-present)

Internal peer-reviewer for HLS ethics application

Sage textbook reviewer (2023 -present)