Sergio Jerez

UWRT 1102

Inquiry Paper

Much of a humans cognitive development comes through language. Therefore, increased

access to language results in higher cognitive development specially for kids and teenagers who

have an easier capability of acquiring and speaking more than one language. According to the

National Institute of Health, the benefits of being bilingual start in an early age. Studies have

shown that bilingualism positively affects attention and conflict management in infants as old as

seven months (Viorica Marian). The increased access to language allows for advantages that that

transfer beyond language and improves many more cognitive skills. Environment and

surroundings greatly impact the access to language. Infants that grow up in a bilingual home are

more likely to learn and develop cognition skills faster than those who live in a monolingual

household. Apart from the benefits in the neurological aspect, bilingualism also shows an

increase of social benefits. Among these benefits is the ability to explore a culture through its

native tongue and advantages in the international market. The human mind experiences life in

more than one language, therefore the importance of being bilingual is an advantage to

understand abstract ideas of life and culture.

The idea that increased access to two sets of languages allow for better cognitive

development within kids and young adults is the basis of a question that is to be answered

through further research. The benefits of bilingualism in cognitive aspects may completely

change the architecture of the brain. The benefits on humans can be divided into two sets:

Neurological and Social. The idea of the research is to develop a clear understanding of how the

access of languages and bilingualism can shape the activity of the human brain. In addition to

how access to languages can improve and develop social benefits.

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As mentioned in the introduction, the cognitive development process depends heavily on

the access to language and a persons linguistic abilities. Bilingualism affects cognitive

development and allows for higher advancements of cognition. An example of such

advancement is in metalinguistic awareness. Metalinguistic awareness is the ability to talk about,

analyze, and think about language independent of the concrete meaning of each word (Pearson).

Metalinguistic awareness allows bilinguals to view and analyze language as a subject of study,

this is due to the fact that languages never coincide with concept and structure. Having the

cognitive capability to apply and grow metalinguistic ability allows children and teens to

perform divergent and creative thinking, have high interactional and pragmatic competence, and

possess communicative sensitivity and flexibility (Jessner). A metalinguistic skill present in

many bilingual kids and young adults is to view language as something more than just symbols

and letters. This cognitive skill provides the awareness that symbols and words in a language can

go beyond its meaning and provide cultural and intrapersonal reasoning (Alipour). Such benefit

can affect the way kids and adults interpret literature and language. Apart from that it has

benefits in both social and neurological aspect. Some characteristic of metalinguistic awareness

develop through childhood and other during adulthood.

Most metalanguage skills develop beyond childhood however children with access to two

sets of language have a higher percentage of metalinguistic ability (Edwards). Although some

results favor a much higher positive correlation between bilingualism and cognitive development

it is highly due to the access they have to both their native and acquired language. A study

showed that bilingual childrens ability to detect grammatically incorrect sentences in their

Native Language was correlated with their vocabulary measure in their Native Language. A child

with a limited knowledge of a language affects his or her cognitive development (Raschke). The
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researched explored allows the conclusion that a cognitive development skill such as

metalinguistic awareness is higher in bilingual children and teens who have access to both their

native and second language.

Apart from a persons metalinguistic abilities, bilingualism also improves ones ability to

pay attention and memory retention. A study done on monolingual Spanish speakers and

Spanish-Catalan bilinguals by Nueroimage on December 2010 showed that bilinguals find it

easier to maintain focus for a long period time (Ellen Bialystok). This might be due to the fact

that bilinguals have facilitated control over certain regions of the brain which in turn allow them

to maintain different parts of the brain occupied. The areas activated during the tests were the left

inferior frontal cortex and the left striatum. The left inferior frontal cortex is responsible for

syntactic processing. Syntactic processing is an action of the human brain that allows humans to

process the structure of grammar in different languages (Tyler LK1). The left striatum is mostly

involved in cognitive retention and movement fluidity (Schultz). However, these two areas of the

brain combined tend to be involved in language control. The monolingual participants activated

different part of the brains that connect different pathways less involved with language control.

These different connections also cause the monolingual participant to deviate from the task and

lose attention. Due to the fact that bilinguals must be able to have to separate mechanisms for

controlling attention to their language systems they tend to have a longer attention span.

Controlling the attention of two language systems is a key aspect in order to achieve fluidity in

each language without confusing one with the other. Controlling attention to two languages

boosts the development of executive control processes in childhood for bilinguals.

Being able to communicate in two different languages can provide can aid the

neurological process of human beings in ways that many people would not even consider. An
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example of such is the ability to resolve or come up with a wide number of solutions to a specific

problem. Being exposed to two languages as a kid allows for better and faster responses to

conflict conditions (Craik). When comparing an adult who speaks two languages to an adult who

only speaks one, the adult who speaks two languages is more likely to have an enhanced

performance when looking for a solution to a problem. Enhanced performances in conflict driven

situations require perceptual analysis, which is something that based on research bilingual

speakers tend to have more of. In a study done to test the speed of response in conflict conditions

on adults, bilinguals were less disrupted than monolinguals when the response to a stimulus

required all participants to ignore a competing but irrelevant feature of the stimulus. Some of the

results showed that bilingualism may protect against age related cognitive decline (Craik). The

enhanced performance by bilinguals tends to continue in older age. There is normally a slower

decline in neurological performance in bilinguals than that found in older monolinguals. The

results were considered to be highly accurate when talking about the improved ability of

bilinguals to ignore and move past the disruptive effects of a misleading stimulus.

As previously mentioned, being able to communicate in different languages allows for

neurological and social benefits. As seen in a study done from January to June of 2011 by Annals

of Economics and Statistics being able to speak a second languages raises wages from five to

fifteen percent in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany,

Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain (Jean Gabszewicz). An economic benefit of bilingualism is

possible for several reasons. First, fluency in two languages can widen the range of commercial

opportunities in ethnic and general markets. Second, businesses in the global economy want to

hire workers with language skills who can give an extra resource to the international market. And

third, the increasing immigrant population will raise the demand for bilingual workers (Alba).
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The demand for bilingualism is growing around the world and therefore giving bilinguals the

edge over monolingual speakers, which adds yet another social benefit for bilingualism.

In addition to effects on earnings, a foreign language makes it possible for the human

brain to be immersed into a different culture and to gain unfiltered access to its history, its arts

and its literature. This is something that enhances the cultural and social knowledge of a person

to its full capacity. In addition, it gives people an edge when communicating there by creating

the possibility to form deeper connections with other people. Lack of cultural identity can

sometimes be present in monolingual kids and young adults. This happens when kids with a

multicultural background are unable to speak to their grandparents or extended family due to not

being able to speak their language (Prieto). This is due to the fact that in their home they only

hear one language and have not been exposed to any other languages. This can create a barrier

between them and a family culture that they will be unable to experience because they dont

understand it. This might cause a lack of belonging with in monolingual kids. Bilingual kids

however, are able to take part in the two cultures from the two languages that they are able to

speak. Benefits as such show the importance that being bilingual can have in kids and adults.

Bilingualism does not only have cognitive benefits but also social benefits that give people a

sense of belonging and humanity. Bilingualism can make people who come from completely

different places close in ways that only language allows.

Culture in many cases is what hold nations together, and humans are able to learn in

many ways; one of those being culture. Teenagers most of all draw more from cultural

experiences. Culture is also linked to the acquisition of language. Taking in account that culture

is connected to language then we must also consider that environment also plays a role on the

access to a second language. Some studies show that acquisition of langue is more closely related
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to number knowledge and that the ability to perform mathematics skills allows for an easier

acquisition of a second language (Viorica Marian). However, human learning come from the

basis of interactions and experiences. A broader access of languages provides access to cultural

norms and circumstances that ultimately allow children and teens to differentiate between right

and wrong behavior (Elizabeth Hughes Fong). With increased access of language, the ability to

reason and understand abstract material become a much easier task. But the ability to understand

where that abstract material comes from would be null without understanding the culture and

history behind it. Culture and history that can only be accessed through the native tongue.

Therefore, to fully comprehend the point and ideas of people who speak a different language

then you must fully be able to understand their language. That is key aspect and benefit of

bilingualism. Environment and culture coincide to develop spoken language.

Overall the research has showed that bilingualism has positive effects on both the

neurological and social aspect of humans. Bilingualism acts as a catalyst to an explosion of

cognitive skills and attributes. Examples of this include metalinguistic awareness which allows

humans to analyze and understand language and perform divergent and critical thinking. It was

mentioned that bilingualism also aids in memory retention and surpasses that of monolingual

speakers. Being able to control two languages at the same time can even change the architecture

of the brain and speed up the development of cognitive control within youth. The social aspect

also improves and develops as much as the neurological. Bilinguals have better conflict

management and self-control. In addition, bilingualism provides a closer relation to culture and

people all around the world while at the same time increasing the amount of wages that are

earned. It is fair to say there is a large number of benefits that come with being bilingual that can

affect in positive ways how one lives their life. A bilingual brain is always thinking and therefore
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UWRT 1102

always improving many facets of the human. Having access to more than one language not only

makes people smarter, but it also pulls people together. Two languages can give a person the

cognitive machinery that allows them to live a life full of constant growth and development in

the brain and social life.

 Sergio Jerez
UWRT 1102

Works Cited

Alba, Hyoung-Jin Shin and Richard. "The Economic Value of Bilingualism for Asians and Hispanics."

Sociological Forum (2009): 254-275.

Alipour, Sepideh. "Metalinguistic and Linguistic Knowledge in Foreign Language Learners." Theory

and Practice in Language Studies (2014): 2640-2645.

Craik, Ellen Bialystok and Fergus I. M. "Cognitive and Linguistic Processing in the Bilingual Mind."

Current Directions in Psychological Science 19.1 (2010): 19-23.

Edwards, Kirkpatric. Metalinguistic awareness in children: a developmental progression. Wichita:

National Institute of Health, 1999.

Elizabeth Hughes Fong, Robyn M. Catagnus,corresponding author Matthew T. Brodhead, Shawn

Quigley, and Sean Field. "Developing the Cultural Awareness Skills of Behavior Analysts."

Behavior Analysis Practice (2016): 8494.

Jean Gabszewicz, Victor Ginsburgh and Shlomo Weber. "Bilingualism and Communicative Benefits."

Annals of Economics and Statistics (2011): 271-286.

Prieto, H. Victoria. " Two Languages, Three Languages... More?" Young Children 64.1 (2009): 52-53.

Raschke, Denise Davidson and Vanessa. Metalinguistic Awareness in Monolingual and Bilingual

Children and its Relationship to Receptive Vocabulary Scores and Performance on a Reading

Readiness Test. Research. Loyola University Chicago . Chicago : Loyola University Chicago ,

2011.

Schultz, Raymundo Bez-Mendoza* and Wolfram. "The role of the striatum in social behavior."

Frontier in Neuroscience 7 (2013): 233.

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Tyler LK1, Marslen-Wilson WD, Randall B, Wright P, Devereux BJ, Zhuang J, Papoutsi M, Stamatakis

EA. "Left inferior frontal cortex and syntax: function, structure and behaviour in patients with

left hemisphere damage." Brain (2011): 415-31.

Viorica Marian, Ph.D. and Anthony Shook. "The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual." Cerebrum.

(2012).