Comparison of Phonological Awareness Abilities of Bilingual and Monolingual Children

This critical review investigates differences in phonological awareness abilities of monolingual and bilingual children. Study designs included 6 cohort studies describing and comparing two distinct linguistic groups. Overall the evidence is inconclusive, with some studies supporting, and others refuting, a bilingual advantage to phonological awareness. Although no generalized understanding of bilingualism and phonological awareness is yet available, current evidence suggests that speech language pathologists should be aware of the potential for bilingual differences.