Second Language (L2) Training Effects on the Cognitive Control of Greek Preschool Children

Abstract

Bilingualism’s role in Executive Function (EF) improvement has generated significant discussion but few conclusive results. Researchers have drawn an artificial dichotomy between monolinguals and bilinguals. Studies primarily include young adults with ceiling performances and use very few tasks, failing to capture EF complexity. To assess the effects of emerging bilingualism on cognitive control, we employed a longitudinal design, evaluating the influence of seven months of L2 learning in preschool children. We used multiple tasks for Inhibition, Working Memory (WM) and Cognitive Flexibility (CF). We tested 78 Greek-speaking children from Athens, with no prior L2 experience. Half (n = 40) received L2 training in school. Results showed that children learning an L2 improved significantly more than controls in areas of CF related to rule learning and adapting to change, and in spatial WM. Our longitudinal design and rich task battery allowed us to reliably detect language-related influences on EF.