#681 - Bilingual Schooling Effects
Does learning in two languages help children think better, or only speak better? Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom followed 60 Spanish children, ages 6 to 8, for two years of primary school to examine how bilingual education shapes language and attention. All children spoke Spanish at home. Some attended English and Spanish bilingual schools with higher or lower English exposure, while others attended monolingual Spanish schools.
Children completed standardized measures of vocabulary and attention. Spanish and English vocabulary were measured using pictures of items using two different English Vocabulary Tests. Children’s attention skills, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory were also measured.
Results? Children with more English exposure scored much higher on English vocabulary, while Spanish vocabulary developed as usual across all groups. Some attention advantages appear for bilingual students after one year, especially for tasks requiring inhibition and selective attention, but these differences do not persist into the second year.
The takeaway? Bilingual schooling strongly boosts second-language vocabulary without harming the first language. Cognitive benefits also may depend on time, task demands, and exposure outside the classroom. Choosing early bilingual exposure expands language skills as children grow. Bilingualism facility likely opens more opportunities for their future.
Written by Kristin M. Harris, Ph.D.