The paper evaluates the Bilingual Interactive Activation (BIA) model of bilingual word recognition and proposes an updated version, the BIA+, to address its limitations. The BIA+ model extends the BIA by incorporating phonological and semantic lexical representations and distinguishing between language nodes and a task/decision system. The language nodes are redefined to handle non-linguistic context effects and to interact with the word identification system. The task/decision system regulates control and is influenced by linguistic context, such as sentence structure and semantics. The paper discusses the generalizability of the BIA+ model to different tasks and modalities, emphasizing its ability to account for a broader range of empirical findings. The BIA+ model's integration of orthographic, phonological, and semantic codes, as well as its handling of interlingual homographs and cognates, are detailed, along with its implications for understanding bilingual word recognition.The paper evaluates the Bilingual Interactive Activation (BIA) model of bilingual word recognition and proposes an updated version, the BIA+, to address its limitations. The BIA+ model extends the BIA by incorporating phonological and semantic lexical representations and distinguishing between language nodes and a task/decision system. The language nodes are redefined to handle non-linguistic context effects and to interact with the word identification system. The task/decision system regulates control and is influenced by linguistic context, such as sentence structure and semantics. The paper discusses the generalizability of the BIA+ model to different tasks and modalities, emphasizing its ability to account for a broader range of empirical findings. The BIA+ model's integration of orthographic, phonological, and semantic codes, as well as its handling of interlingual homographs and cognates, are detailed, along with its implications for understanding bilingual word recognition.