New research has found that growing up in a bilingual home can provide unexpected cognitive benefits later in life.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showing for the first time that adults who acquired their second language as a young child (early bilinguals) are more alert and quicker to detect visual changes compared to adults who have learned the language. second language later in life (late bilinguals).
Led by Dr. Dean D’Souza of the University of Anglia Ruskin (ARU), the study saw 127 adults participate in two separate experiments. The first involved looking at pictures on screen, with one picture gradually changing and the other remaining the same. Early bilinguals noticed these changes much faster than late bilinguals.
The second trial found that early bilinguals were better at controlling attention. In particular, they were quicker to distract from one picture to shift the focus to another.
Dr D’Souza and his colleagues had previously found that babies raised in bilingual homes adapt to the more diverse and incomprehensible language environment by ‘move the visual attention faster and more often. The findings of this new study show that these changes obtained as bilingual babies lead to adulthood.
Dr D’Souza, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Anglia Ruskin (ARU), said: “This study is an interesting extension of our previous research, which recommended that babies raised in two respond to their more complex language environments by shifting attention more quickly and frequently.
“This change could help them take advantage of a variety of visual sources of information, such as verbal gestures, facial expressions, and subtle gestures, ultimately helping them to learn many languages.
“The findings from our new research with bilingual adults suggest that some of these changes, including accelerating attention span, are being sustained. to become adults. ”
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