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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

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Published on: February 26, 2020

Working memory in multilingual children: is there a bilingual effect?

Pascale M J Engel de Abreu1

  • 1EMACS Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Walferdange, Luxembourg. pascale.engel@uni.lu

Memory (Hove, England)
|August 26, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Early childhood bilingualism impacts language skills but shows little effect on working memory development in children aged 6-8. Bilingual children did not outperform monolinguals on cognitive tasks, contrary to the initial hypothesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early childhood bilingualism is hypothesized to enhance cognitive control and working memory.
  • Managing multiple languages may train cognitive functions by reducing interference.
  • Longitudinal studies are crucial to understand the developmental impact of bilingualism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal effects of early childhood bilingualism on working memory in 6- to 8-year-olds.
  • To test the hypothesis that bilingual children exhibit superior working memory compared to monolinguals.
  • To examine the relationship between bilingualism, working memory, fluid intelligence, and language abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study over 3 years with 44 children (bilingual and monolingual) matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
  • Assessment of working memory using simple and complex span tasks.
  • Evaluation of fluid intelligence and language proficiency (vocabulary and syntax).

Main Results:

  • Monolingual children demonstrated significantly better language performance over time.
  • No significant differences in working memory or fluid intelligence were found between bilingual and monolingual children after accounting for verbal abilities.
  • Bilingualism influenced language skills more than working memory development.

Conclusions:

  • The cognitive demands of managing multiple languages primarily benefit language acquisition rather than enhancing general working memory capacity in early childhood.
  • The hypothesis that bilingualism confers a working memory advantage was not supported in this longitudinal study.
  • Future research should explore other cognitive domains potentially affected by early bilingualism.