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Understanding the Consequences of Bilingualism for Language Processing and Cognition
Judith F Kroll1, Ellen Bialystok
1The Pennsylvania State University.
Journal of Cognitive Psychology (Hove, England)
|November 14, 2013
Summary
Bilingualism research reveals that using two languages activates both, enhancing executive functions like attention and conflict resolution. This dual-language experience profoundly reshapes cognitive and linguistic processing in adults.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Bilingualism research is shaped by two key findings: parallel language activation during speech and a bilingual advantage in executive functions.
- Bilinguals consistently activate both languages, even when not actively using both, impacting cognitive and linguistic processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between language processing and executive function in bilinguals.
- To argue that bilingualism profoundly alters cognitive and linguistic processing, challenging unitary views of the phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- Review of contemporary research on language processing (comprehension, production) in bilinguals.
- Analysis of studies on executive functions (attention, task switching, conflict resolution) comparing bilinguals and monolinguals.
Main Results:
- Bilinguals exhibit parallel activation of both languages during single-language use.
- Bilinguals demonstrate enhanced performance on executive function tasks requiring cognitive control.
Conclusions:
- The cognitive and linguistic processing of bilinguals are interconnected and altered by dual-language experience.
- Bilingualism is not a simple sum of component processes but a complex phenomenon with profound effects on the adult brain and cognition.
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