Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences
Vol. 46, 19 April 2024
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It is widely held that bilinguals hold cognitive advantages in working memory compared to monolinguals; however, is there really a conclusive argument? The present study delves into the intriguing relationship between bilingualism and working memory, exploring the debate of potential cognitive advantages that bilinguals might possess. By analyzing seminal works, key studies supporting bilingual advantage, and perspectives challenging this view, this paper synthesizes findings regarding bilingualism’s cognitive benefits beyond language processing, delineating its significant contributions and its methodological and conceptual limitations. Additionally, the study considers the potential implications of bilingual advantage in education and in addressing neurodegenerative diseases. It identifies substantive gaps in the current understanding, including a lack of standardization in experimental designs and reporting standards and a limited focus on confounding variables.
Bilingualism, Cognitive Advantages, Attentional Control, Alerting, Working Memory
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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
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