Kaitlyn Zavaleta

Dr. Kaitlyn Zavaleta is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at De Montfort University, affiliated with the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and the School of Applied Social Sciences. Her research focuses on bilingualism, second language acquisition (SLA), and cognitive processes underlying language production, comprehension, and control.

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

Dr. Zavaleta’s work investigates how bilingual and multilingual individuals manage language switching, speech errors, and individual differences in language learning. Her methodologies include eye-tracking, experimental tasks, and digital tools like podcasts for public engagement. She co-hosts The Language Scientists podcast to disseminate research and promote language learning accessibility.

Her funded projects include the British Academy Talent Development Award (2021-2022) for research on multilingual education and internal grants at DMU to study working memory in language learning, digital barriers, and language control mechanisms. She currently accepts PhD supervision applications.

• British Psychological Society (2022–present), CPsychol
• American Psychological Society (2020–2022)
• Psychonomic Society (2019–2022)
• Society for the Teaching of Psychology (2014–2016, 2020)
• American Association for Applied Linguistics (2013–2016, 2020)

Dr. Zavaleta leads the Language Lab at DMU, integrating digital tools like mouse-tracking and virtual reality to explore language learning dynamics. Her recent projects emphasize heritage language education and community engagement.