of advantages over monolingual
children.
Cognitive advantages
Studies show that speaking more than
one language has many cognitive
benefits, and could even prevent
dementia in old age. The multilingual
brain has a better ‘executive
function’, a command system
involving the attention processes used
for planning and solving problems.
Bilingual and multilingual children
find it easier to ignore distractions,
stay focused and hold information.
Because multilingual children
regularly have to monitor their
environment by switching languages,
they regularly practice the ‘executive
function’ in their brain.
With their vocabulary,
multilingual children are also more
capable of separating meaning from
form, demonstrating more cognitive
flexibility. It has also been proved
that multilingualism helps children
develop superior reading and writing
skills. Thanks to transfers in the
brain, multilingual children can
use the information and the skills
they have acquired in one language
context in another language context.
Multilingual children also seem
to have improved analytical skills,
and they are more capable than
monolinguals at solving certain kinds
of mental puzzles.
Of course, the cognitive
advantages of multilingualism can
only exist when supported by other
social factors, such as education,
socioeconomic status and the
linguistic experiences we give our
children. However, the problem
solving strategies, a deeper awareness
Bilingual and multilingual
children find it easier to ignore
distractions, stay focused and
hold information.
