The Bilingual Advantage in aging population

Sara Hashemi

Date of Submission

Spring 2025

Document Type

Closed Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Department

Speech-Language Pathology

First Advisor

Beatriz Barragan, PhD

Abstract

The bilingual advantage hypothesis suggests that bilingualism confers cognitive benefits, such as enhanced executive functions and slower cognitive decline, compared to monolinguals. However, this hypothesis has been debated in recent research. This study explores cognitive performance in older bilingual and monolingual adults, focusing on tasks assessing working memory, attention, inhibition, and mental flexibility. The goal was to determine if bilingualism delay cognitive decline or offer advantages that could potentially protect against dementia. Fifteen monolingual and 15 bilingual participants aged 60+ completed working memory, Flanker, and Switching tasks online, with bilinguals also completing the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) to gauge language dominance and experience. The results revealed no statistically significant difference between the monolingual and bilingual groups, though interesting trends emerged. Bilinguals appeared to perform slightly better in tasks requiring motor-based working memory, while monolinguals showed slightly better performance in language-related and numerical tasks. These preliminary findings suggest that bilingualism does not have a negative effect on cognition, although there may be specific areas of potential weakness in bilinguals. While trends were observed, the lack of statistical significance and limitations related to proficiency assessment, language use measurement, and testing language preclude definitive conclusions. Future studies with larger, more diverse samples are essential. Aging bilinguals encounter unique challenges, particularly in demanding linguistic environments; thus, understanding their cognitive strengths and weaknesses is essential for developing personalized and effective interventions in speech-language pathology.

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