The bilingual math dilemma - Language switching costs in declarative and procedural arithmetic knowledge

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Psycholinguistics
• Bilingualism Research

Background:

• Language Switching Costs (LSC) reveal language-dependency in knowledge representation.
• Existing research shows LSC in declarative arithmetic, but not procedural arithmetic knowledge.
• Gaps exist in understanding LSC's long-term stability, cognitive underpinnings, and relation to individual differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate LSC in procedural arithmetic knowledge.
• Examine the long-term stability of LSC in both declarative and procedural arithmetic.
• Explore the relationship between LSC and cognitive competencies in bilinguals.

Main Methods:

• Trained 122 bilingual participants on artificial arithmetic facts (declarative) and a novel procedure (procedural) over four days in L1 or L2.
• Tested participants on trained material in both languages at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-training.
• Collected self-reports on translation processes during testing.

Main Results:

• LSC were observed in reaction times for both declarative and procedural arithmetic knowledge.
• These LSC persisted for up to 3 months after training.
• No significant associations were found between LSC and individual cognitive competencies.

Conclusions:

• Both declarative and procedural arithmetic knowledge are language-dependent in bilinguals.
• LSC in arithmetic are stable over at least three months.
• Findings partially align with triple code models and have implications for understanding bilingual arithmetic cognition.