Esmee Aalders

LIFE Fellow since 2024, University of Zurich

Hello, I'm Esmee, and I've recently started my Ph.D. journey with Moritz Daum's team at the University of Zurich. My research focuses on understanding the intricacies of communicative behavior development in both bilingual and monolingual children. Specifically, I'm interested by how children tailor their speech to different listeners and how this is affected by language status.
Originally from the Netherlands, I spent most of my time in Amsterdam, where I obtained master's degrees in Pedagogical Sciences and Criminology. My professional path has led me to roles as a behavioral scientist in child protection services and as a researcher in the Dutch Ministry of Defense. However, I'm very excited to return to academia and delve into the field of scientific research. Beyond academia, I spend my time painting or in the outdoors, exploring new sports and activities.

Dissertation project:

Beyond words: The development of para-linguistic and non-verbal adaptive communication in mono- and bilingual children

Publications

Aalders, E. M., Daum, M. M., & Wermelinger, S. (2025). Diversity in monolingual and multilingual communicative environments and its relation to vocabulary in early childhood. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728925100758