The effect of childhood bilectalism and multilingualism on executive control.

نویسندگان

  • Kyriakos Antoniou
  • Kleanthes K Grohmann
  • Maria Kambanaros
  • Napoleon Katsos
چکیده

Several investigations report a positive effect of childhood bilingualism on executive control (EC). An issue that has remained largely unexamined is the role of the typological distance between the languages spoken by bilinguals. In the present study we focus on children who grow up with Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek, two closely related varieties that differ from each other on all levels of language analysis (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar). We compare the EC performance of such bilectal children to that of English-Greek multilingual children in Cyprus and Standard Modern Greek-speaking monolingual children in Greece. A principal component analysis on six indicators of EC revealed two distinct factors, which we interpreted as representing working memory and inhibition. Multilingual and bilectal children exhibited an advantage over monolinguals that was evident across EC factors and emerged only after statistically controlling for their lower language proficiency. These results demonstrate that similar EC advantages as previously reported for 'true' bilingual speakers can be found in bilectal children, which suggests that minimal typological distance between the varieties spoken by a child suffices to give rise to advantages in EC. They further indicate that the effect of speaking more than one language or dialect on EC performance is located across the EC system without a particular component being selectively affected. This has implications for models of the locus of the bilingual advantage in EC performance. Finally, they show that the emergence of EC advantages in bilinguals is moderated by the level of their language proficiency.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

The Gradience of Multilingualism in Typical and Impaired Language Development: Positioning Bilectalism within Comparative Bilingualism

A multitude of factors characterizes bi- and multilingual compared to monolingual language acquisition. Two of the most prominent viewpoints have recently been put in perspective and enriched by a third (Tsimpli, 2014): age of onset of children's exposure to their native languages, the role of the input they receive, and the timing in monolingual first language development of the phenomena exam...

متن کامل

Comparison of the Dimensions of Executive Functions in Monolingual and Bilingual Children

Objective: This study aimed to compare the executive functioning between bilingual and monolingual children. Methods: We recruited a total of 200 children, all under 5-years old, who participated in a cross-sectional study. These participants were separated into two groups based on their enrollment in a second language program. Group one consisted of children enrolled in a second language prog...

متن کامل

The effect of computerized Cognitive Training package on executive functions of people with major depressive disorder

Background : Major depression is a common disease in the world that is associated with cognitive disorders including executive dysfunction.One of the new therapies that targets cognitive disorders is computerized cognitive training. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of computerized cognitive training package on executive functions in depressed individuals in comparison with th...

متن کامل

The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitative Program on Executive Functions in Children with Dyscalculia

Objective: The academic success of students has great importance for family, educators and the community. Specific learning disorder reduces students' academic performance and make education difficult. Today, it is necessary to pay more attention to dyscalculia due to the increasing prevalence of learning disorders (especially dyscalculia), its diagnosis and assessment, develop new remediation ...

متن کامل

Comparison of the effect of neuropsychological therapy, rhythmic movements and cognitive empowerment on the executive functions of students with specific learning disorder

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of neuropsychological therapy, rhythmic movements and cognitive empowerment on the executive functions of students with specific learning disorder with reading disorder. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group sample of 48 students with learning disabilities with...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Cognition

دوره 149  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2016