Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

This entry focuses on how bilinguals differ from individuals who speak only one language in performing a variety of simple cognitive tasks. It explores the intersection of linguistic and cognitive skills, along with factors that should be considered in studies comparing bilingual and monolingual subjects, notably students.

Researchers have found that some of the cognitive advantages of being bilingual include enhanced cognitive functioning, a greater number of cognitive pathways, and enhanced memory and brain plasticity. Andrea Mechelli and her collaborators explain that [Page 150]brain plasticity refers to the ability of the brain to functionally change and that learning a second language helps build density in the gray matter of the brain. The findings of their study provide evidence of the impact of second-language acquisition on the structure of the human brain.

A comparison of grammar, sentence structure, and word usage of two distinct languages and the inherent complexities of the cognitive process has found that bilinguals have a greater understanding of the intricacy of language. The higher the degree of bilingualism, the more cognitive benefits accrue to the individual. It is worth noting that not all bilinguals have these advantages, especially those with underdeveloped skills in two languages. The more bilingual the person is, the more noticeable are the advantages.

In addition, bilingualism has been found to foster classification skills, concept formation, analogical reasoning, visual-spatial skills, and creativity and has other cognitive gains. The ability to know two or more words for one object or idea may provide an added cognitive flexibility. If a word in one language can mean two or more different things, bilinguals, who are able to bridge the first language to the second language, are thereby provided with an added dimension to the word. To illustrate this, Colin Baker provides an example using the Welsh word ysgol, which means both school and ladder in Welsh and provides the bilingual with the added dimension in English of school as a ladder. Knowing two languages opens up a bilingual's mind to ways in which to differentiate concepts and enhance and expand meaning. Bilingual persons experience two different ways in which to conceive and think about an idea or concept; hence, their thought process broadens. Ellen Bialystok found that compared with monolingual children, bilingual children can count words in a sentence, which is a difficult task for children at a young age. Young bilinguals appear to have a deeper processing ability, which helps them to understand that words can be isolated from sentences. This understanding of the identity of words helps them understand parts of speech and the intertwining of words to make meaning. Bilinguals have also been shown to be more analytical regarding the structure of language. It is this metalinguistic awareness that is so important for children's reading skills.

Luis Moll has defined two types of cognitive structures: (a) structures of explanation and (b) structures for cognitive activity. Structures of explanation aid a person in the organization of perception in new ways. The structures for cognitive activity operate on the level of cognitive process. As second-language learners are learning and using a new language, they are relying on both the structures of explanation and the structures for cognitive activity they already have acquired in their first language. Both operate on the level of cognitive processes, which contain the structures for memorization and recall that are so important for building a solid base for the new language.

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