Cognitive Advantages of Bilingualism - Maria Polinsky

Summary

The transcript discusses the common misconception that everyone in a country speaks a single dominant language fluently, suggesting that multilingualism is historically more common. It highlights cognitive benefits of bilingualism, such as reduced Alzheimer's risk in the elderly and enhanced adaptability in infants. The speaker proposes that bilingualism improves executive control, which could explain these advantages. The summary also touches on concerns about bilingual children's vocabularies and the impact of literacy, emphasizing that language input is more crucial than type or order of language learning.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Monolingualism is less common historically; multilingualism is the norm.
• 🧠 Bilingualism has been linked to significant cognitive advantages.
• 👴 Bilingual individuals are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to monolinguals.
• 👶 Bilingual babies show better adaptability and cognitive flexibility in certain tasks compared to monolingual babies.
• 📈 The benefits of bilingualism are more pronounced when language exposure begins early in life.
• 🤔 The field of linguistics and sociology has historically focused on monolingualism as the norm, which may not be accurate.
• 🧐 Executive control, responsible for attention and task distribution, is enhanced in bilinguals due to the need to manage multiple languages.
• 🌐 There is ongoing research into whether there are additional cognitive benefits to speaking more than two languages.
• 📚 Literacy in a language is not a prerequisite for the cognitive advantages of bilingualism.
• 👶🏻 Bilingual children may have smaller vocabularies initially, but they tend to catch up by age five.
• 🏡 The method of bilingual exposure (sequential or simultaneous) is less important than the amount of language input a child receives.

Q & A

What is the common assumption about language in large countries with dominant languages?

The common assumption is that everyone speaks the dominant language of the country well, and if they don't, it's considered their problem.

Why is monolingualism considered an aberration rather than the norm in the history of human society?

It's considered an aberration because historically, it's been more common for people to speak two or more languages.

What does recent research suggest about the cognitive advantages of bilingualism?

Recent research suggests that bilingualism provides significant cognitive advantages, such as a lower likelihood of Alzheimer's disease and improved attention and task distribution abilities.

What was the finding of the study conducted in Florida regarding Alzheimer's disease and bilingualism?

The study found that the likelihood of having Alzheimer's disease is five times less in people who grew up bilingual compared to monolinguals.

What was the 'Wonder Babies' study and what did it reveal about bilingual infants?

The 'Wonder Babies' study involved three groups of seven-month-old babies from Italian, Slovenian, and mixed Italian-Slovenian families. It revealed that bilingual babies were quicker to adapt to changes in their environment compared to monolingual babies.

What is the role of executive control in the cognitive advantages of bilingualism?

Executive control, a part of cognition responsible for attention and task distribution, is exercised more by bilinguals due to the constant need to suppress one language while using another, leading to better cognitive control.

Is there a significant advantage to speaking three languages over two, according to current research?

Current research does not show any significant advantage in the presence of three languages as opposed to two.

What are the concerns regarding the vocabulary of bilingual children compared to monolingual children?

There is a concern that bilingual children may have smaller vocabularies in each language due to exposure to two languages, but they usually catch up by age five.

What is the impact of literacy on bilingualism and multilingualism?

Literacy is secondary to language; even without written forms, languages can provide significant knowledge and cognitive advantages.

What is the recommended approach for raising bilingual children regarding language exposure?

The recommended approach is to provide as much exposure to each language as possible, rather than strictly adhering to the 'one parent, one language' model.

How can societal pressures affect minority language speakers and what can be done to counteract this?

Societal pressures can lead to language loss for minority language speakers. Increasing input, such as visiting countries where the language is predominant, can help counteract this.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Misconception of Monolingualism and Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

The first paragraph discusses the common assumption that people in large countries speak a dominant language fluently, which is contrasted with the historical norm of multilingualism. It challenges the notion that monolingualism is the standard by presenting evidence from studies showing cognitive advantages of bilingualism, such as reduced Alzheimer's risk and enhanced attention in infants. The paragraph suggests that bilingualism may improve executive control, a cognitive function responsible for attention and task management.

05:01

📚 Exploring the Dynamics of Bilingualism and Multilingualism

The second paragraph delves into the nuances of bilingualism and multilingualism, addressing questions about the advantages of speaking more than two languages and the best methods for introducing languages to children. It dispels concerns about bilingual children having smaller vocabularies and discusses the importance of exposure rather than the order of language learning. The paragraph also touches on the role of literacy in language acquisition and the challenges of maintaining minority languages amidst societal pressures.

10:02

🌟 The Importance of Language Input in Bilingual and Multilingual Education

The final paragraph emphasizes the significance of language input in the development of bilingual and multilingual speakers. It highlights the impact of societal pressures on language retention and the benefits of immersive experiences, such as visiting a country where the language is predominantly spoken. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for linguistic research and educational policies to promote a global acceptance of bilingualism, drawing a comparison between different country models and their approaches to language learning.

Keywords

💡Language

Language refers to a system of communication using words, sounds, gestures, and symbols. In the video, language is central to the discussion on the prevalence of bilingualism and multilingualism versus monolingualism, indicating that speaking multiple languages is more common and beneficial than previously assumed.

💡Monolingualism

Monolingualism is the condition of speaking only one language. The video challenges the normative view of monolingualism, suggesting it is an aberration rather than the norm, and contrasts it with the cognitive advantages of bilingualism.

💡Bilingualism

Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages fluently. The script highlights the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, such as reduced likelihood of Alzheimer's disease and improved executive control, as well as the advantages from early childhood development.

💡Cognitive Advantages

Cognitive advantages refer to the mental benefits gained from certain experiences or conditions. The video discusses how bilingualism provides significant cognitive advantages, including better attention and task distribution abilities, as illustrated by studies on elderly individuals in Florida and 'Wonder Babies' in Triest.

💡Executive Control

Executive control is a cognitive process responsible for attention and the management of cognitive resources. The script explains that bilinguals exercise this control more frequently due to the need to suppress one language while using another, leading to enhanced cognitive function.

💡Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a neurodegenerative condition causing memory loss and cognitive decline. The video cites a study showing that bilingual individuals have a significantly lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's, emphasizing the health benefits of bilingualism.

💡Sequential Bilingualism

Sequential bilingualism is the process of learning two languages in a step-by-step manner, usually one after the other. The script addresses concerns about the order of language learning and suggests that the amount of exposure is more critical than the order.

💡Simultaneous Bilingualism

Simultaneous bilingualism occurs when two languages are learned at the same time from birth or early childhood. The video suggests that simultaneous bilinguals may excel in certain tasks compared to sequential bilinguals, though the 'jury is still out' on which is superior.

💡Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read and write. The script discusses the importance of language regardless of literacy, noting that even without written forms, languages can convey knowledge and confer cognitive advantages.

💡Input

Input in the context of language learning refers to the exposure and interaction with a language. The video emphasizes the importance of input for bilingual and multilingual development, suggesting that increased exposure, such as visiting a country where the language is spoken, strengthens language proficiency.

💡Societal Pressures

Societal pressures are the influences and expectations from society that can affect individual behavior or choices. The script mentions that societal pressures can be stronger than familial ones, impacting the maintenance of minority languages and the success of bilingual education.

Highlights

Common assumption that everyone in a large country speaks the dominant language well is challenged.

Historically, multilingualism is more common than monolingualism.

Sociology and linguistics have often studied monolingualism as the norm, despite it being an aberration.

Bilingualism provides significant cognitive advantages.

Bilingual individuals are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease.

Bilingual babies show quicker adaptation to changes in their environment compared to monolingual babies.

Bilingualism enhances executive control, responsible for attention and task distribution.

There is no significant advantage of trilingualism over bilingualism in current research.

Bilingual children may have smaller vocabularies initially but catch up by age five.

The order of language introduction (sequential or simultaneous) does not significantly impact bilingualism's benefits.

Literacy in a language is not crucial for cognitive advantages in bilingualism.

The key to successful bilingualism is the amount of language exposure, not the order of introduction.

Unequal language distribution can lead to interference from the stronger language to the weaker one.

Family and societal pressures influence the maintenance of minority languages.

Increasing language input, such as visiting a country where the language is spoken, strengthens bilingual proficiency.

Economic issues and the prevalence of English as a global language impact bilingual education.

The hope is for linguistic research and educational policies to promote a more multilingual global society.

Transcripts

so it's very common to assume when

people talk about language that everyone

speaks a particular language and speaks

it well and this assumption comes from

large countries with large dominant

languages like English in the United

States or Russian in Russia or Chinese

or Mandarin in China so if you have a

large country everyone's supposed to

learn the large language and if they

don't it's their problem but um if you

think more deeply and if you look at the

history of human society it's in fact

much more common for people to speak two

or more languages and if we look at that

from that angle we realize that

monolingualism when someone speaks only

one language and uses it most of the

time is more of an aberration rather

than the norm so in a way the way

sociology and Linguistics have

positioned themselves is looking at the

aberration and treating it as the norm

and so obviously um it's important to

think about what

the consequences of bilingualism and

lately there's been a lot of uh new

research which shows that bilingualism

gives people significant cognitive

advantages so let me give you two

examples um one has to do with recent

study which was done in Florida Florida

is of course where everybody goes when

they turn 70 so there are a lot of

really old people in

Florida and a lot of these people live

in assisted living or nursing homes um

there was a study which they did in one

of the nursing homes where they looked

at about 800 subjects asking whether or

not they grew up bilingual and they

discovered that the likelihood of having

Alzheimer's is five times Less in people

who grab bilingual than in monolinguals

so that's not a bad result especially

now that everyone is trying to live

longer and they've figured out how to

deal with heart disease and cancer so we

might all end up in the nursing home and

it's not a bad thing not to have

Alzheimer's so that example comes from

the other end of life and has to do with

what's called Wonder

babies this was a study which was done a

few years ago in triest which is

basically

at the border of Slovenia and Italy so

there are a lot of Italians and there

are a lot of slovenians and there of

course a lot of mixed marriages so what

they did was they took three groups of

babies all the babies were seven months

old so there were a bunch of Italian

speaking babies bunch of Slovenian

speaking babies and a bunch of Italian

Slovenian babies from mixed families uh

they showed those babies various puppets

and uh then they switched the

situation and typically when a 7-month

old baby baby is used to a particular

setting and the situation switches it

takes them a little while to regroup so

it turned out that um 7-month-old

Italian and 7-month-old Slovenian babies

um would get used to the puppy appearing

on the right and then when the puppy

would appear on the left they would

continue looking to the right as if

nothing had changed whereas the

bilingual babies very quickly would turn

their head and notice that the puppet

has changed its position so again an

indication that all other factors being

well there was something that made those

babies more advantageous and these are

just a couple of examples indicating

that people do um really improve when

they speak more than one language

especially if that happens from birth or

at least in the first five years of life

um doesn't mean that everyone has to

drop everything and if you're 51 years

old start learning that language that

will help only marginally but if you

were born in a situation where two or

more languages are spoken or if there um

languages that you exposed to as a child

that certainly gives you an advantage

the question is why and I'm going to

give you one of the possible hypothesis

which is very rapidly being explored in

different fields of these days the idea

is that um the control of languages has

to do with what's called executive

control which is your portion of

cognition that is responsible for

attention and the distribution of tasks

so let's say if you're driving a car you

spend a lot of your your energy and a

lot of your uh memory resources um into

looking on the at the road and ignoring

what's happening around so the reason we

don't want to text when we're driving is

that this will distract us from keeping

attention on the road a lot of energy

spent on um not paying attention to

things which are not related to our

driving likewise when you have two

languages or more represented in your

brain when you speak one a lot of your

energy and lot of your memory resources

go into suppressing the other language

which is constantly present in your

cognition and precisely because you're

so experienced as a bilingual or

multilingual speaker in at suppressing

the other languages in your

representation your executive control is

better and a way you exercise it way

more than let's say monolingual speaker

does and that leads to significant

cognitive

Advantage

obviously there different shades of

bilingualism multilingualism and so once

we discover that there are cognitive

advantages there are all kinds of

questions that people ask um one of the

questions is whether or not it's better

to speak three languages than two at

present we don't see any significant

advantage in the presence of three

languages as opposed to

two another question has to do with

whether or not it's better to introduce

two languages sequentially or

simultaneously people have been long

worried about raising bilingual children

because the worry is that bilingual

children have smaller vocabularies in

each language than monolingual children

and that's kind of obvious because there

are you know 18 waking hours in the day

and let's say 9 hours you hear language

X and the other nine hours you hear

language y so of course you'll hear half

of the information that you would hear

if you were just a monolingual speaker

so up to age five we do find that

bilingual children have smaller

vocabularies in each of those languages

but eventually they catch up so I don't

think that this would be a significant

worry uh because this is not something

that that is going to last and so it's

important to just keep doing that the

argument for sequential bilingualism as

opposed to simultaneous bilingualism are

not terribly

serious and it looks like uh

simultaneous bilinguals are better at

certain tasks compared to sequential

biling but sequential bilinguals are

better at other tasks and so we're the

jury is still out as to which of those

two is better what matters is the amount

of exposure and not the order in which

the languages were introduced and then

finally uh people often worry about the

role of literacy in bilingualism and

multilingualism saying that you know

what's the point of learning a language

which doesn't have literacy let's say if

you're a speaker of Hong living in the

United States and there is a large Hong

community in Minnesota um the hongs kind

of look down up on their language

because they don't see what the use of

it is there is no huge literature and in

English of course you've got everything

from Shakespeare to Quenton Tarantino

and you want to use all that but

literacy is secondary to language and

there are millions and millions of

speakers who speak languages with no

literacy or with just the oral tradition

and they still have significant

knowledge and significant cognitive

advantages so the presence or absence of

literacy in a particular language is not

a deciding factor in determining whether

or not you want to uh raise your child

bilingual or monolingual the

disadvantages um have to do first with

the smaller vocabularies which show up

in the beginning and like I said that

usually catches up around age five the

other disadvantage may have to do with

um the unequal distribution of languages

one language is significantly weaker

than the other you will see that there

will be some kind of a transfer or

interference from the stronger language

to the weaker language so these are

probably the two main factors that

people bring up one of the big issues in

um understanding bism

is what the input should be for

bilingual or multilingual speakers for

example if a child grows up in a family

where the mom speaks language X and the

dad speaks language y should they all be

speaking X or should they all be

speaking why or should it be one parent

one language until recently uh the idea

had been one parent one language so if

your mom speaks Chinese and your dad

speaks English the mom should only speak

English the Dad should only speak

Chinese that's a really uh difficult

model to to follow up on and it only

happens in an Ideal World so

basically the notion that we've followed

lately is that it's just good to have as

much exposure to a particular language

as possible and then the question is of

course whether or not there should be

language act spoken in the family and

language wise spoken in the society and

this is where again the importance is in

the input the reason that we have a lot

of minority languages whose speakers

start losing them is that the societal

pressures are much stronger than the

pressures of the family and so if the

family can just increase a lot of input

by let's say taking a person to the

country where this language is spoken as

the main language this is the best there

was a very nice study on Finnish spoken

in the United States by Helena halmari

who noted that um people who grew up in

the United States speaking Finnish in

the family but did go to Finland every

summer were much stronger in their

Finnish and people who only learned

Finnish in the family and were exposed

to English so basically the crucial word

is i n p input and that's what matters I

don't need to convince myself that

bilingual is important but I think we

still have a lot of work to do in the

general public um convincing people that

bilingualism is the way of life and

there are a lot of issues here some of

them are economic issues because

bilingual programs bilingual education

costs money and when the money is tight

it's always hard and it's also something

that varies from country to

country living in a large country I'm

very used to the model that everyone has

to speak English and this is the way of

life and English is of course the

language that everyone wants to learn if

you go to smaller countries like

Switzerland or the Czech Republic biling

is more of the norm and so my hope is

that uh both linguistic research and

educational policies will lead to the

whole world becoming one big Switzerland

rather than the whole world becoming one

big United States or Russia