The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognition
Title
The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognition
Author
Bialystok, Ellen
Research Area
Cognition and Emotions
Topic
Language
Abstract
In spite of early warnings of dire consequences of bilingualism for children's cognitive development, research in the past 50 years has revealed that bilingualism is in fact a positive developmental experience. These benefits were more recently shown to extend across the life span. New research is incorporating neuroimaging to determine the brain bases of these effects and exploring the possibility that the beneficial effects of bilingualism can compensate for degeneration of other cognitive functions that are associated with dementia, thereby postponing symptom onset.