Knowing More Than One Language Enhances Children's Cognitive Function

A recent study published in Autism Research, titled Multilingualism impacts children's executive function and core autism symptoms, found that speaking more than one language can, in fact, enhance children's cognitive abilities. New research also suggests that it may be especially beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study also found that multilingual children, regardless of whether they had ASD, displayed better executive function than those who spoke only one language. The effect was even stronger among autistic children, particularly in areas like impulse control and perspective-taking.

What Was The Study And What Did It Find?

Of the 116 children aged 7 to 12, 53 had ASD and the other 63 were usually developing, according to the study. 56 of them spoke Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, French, Japanese, or Bulgarian fluently in addition to English. The researchers assessed the children's executive function, a collection of cognitive abilities that foster self-control, adaptability, and judgement, in addition to gathering parent-reported data on autistic symptoms, such as social communication and the capacity to comprehend diverse viewpoints.

The Key Findings Were:

• It was observed that multilingual children had stronger executive function than monolingual children, regardless of whether they had ASD
• The effect was more pronounced for children with ASD, particularly in impulse control
• Multilingualism was linked to better perspective-taking skills, which could aid social interactions

Why Multilingualism Helps Executive Function?

Before we understand why or how multilingualism helps executive function, it is important we understand what these functions are. These are skills which are crucial for managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. One theory is that constantly switching between languages strengthens cognitive control.

Language selection and inhibition: When a person speaks more than one language, it means, they must continuously choose the appropriate language to use in different situations while suppressing the other. This also strengthens the brain's ability to focus on multiple things at once, but use the things better suitable. It also controls impulses.

Improved Social Awareness: Multilingual people also need to assess social cues to determine which language to speak, which may contribute to better perspective-taking and social communication.

Greater Language Awareness: Exposure to more than one language can also improve your overall understanding of how languages work and can be beneficial for you to understand verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

In fact, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI), a diverse, supportive international community that provides a multilingual education also notes that individuals who speak multiple languages have better cognitive abilities. This is also because learning a new language stimulates the brain and improves its cognitive functions. Furthermore, children who receive a multilingual education perform better academically as such children can easily understand complex concepts better and quickly. Since knowing language also means remembering lots of words, grammar rules, and usage, such children also have improved memory, retention and recall. This cognitive exercise that their brain receives could also keep dementia at par as they age.

Lucina Uddin, a researcher who was also involved in the study explained that multilingual children also develop stronger inhibition skills. This means they have the ability to stop themselves from impulsive behaviors, as this comes from the habit of deliberately stopping themselves from using a particular language when they are communicating in a different language.

"If you have to juggle two languages, you have to suppress one in order to use the other. That’s the idea, that inhibition — or the ability to stop yourself from doing something — might be bolstered by knowing two languages," said Uddina.