"Bilingualism is often seen only as a practical skill for communication, but research in educational psychology shows it is far more. It fuels children's learning capacity, social development, and emotional growth, allowing them to see the world through multiple perspectives (Antoniou, Pliatsikas, & Schroeder, 2023). One of the most powerful benefits of bilingualism is its impact on higher-order thinking skills. Researchers call this the executive function advantage, the set of mental processes that support self-control, flexible thinking, and working memory."
"Switching between two languages gives children constant practice with these skills, making them better at focusing, solving problems, and adapting to challenges in school and beyond (Yurtsever, Anderson, & Grundy, 2023). Research supports this advantage. A recent study in Egypt looked at children who spoke Arabic at home and English at school. The results showed that bilingual children kept pace in both languages and, more importantly, outperformed their monolingual peers in reasoning, memory, and problem-solving (Sami & Ahmed, 2025)."
Children who grow up speaking two languages develop cognitive advantages in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and executive functions such as self-control, flexible thinking, and working memory. Frequent switching between languages provides constant practice in these mental processes, improving focus and adaptability. Empathy and cultural understanding increase as children learn to navigate multiple cultural norms and perspectives. Evidence from a study of Arabic-home/English-school children in Egypt shows bilinguals kept pace in both languages and outperformed monolingual peers on reasoning, memory, and problem-solving measures. Classroom strategies and family support sustain bilingual development and convert language experience into lasting academic and social strengths.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]