Bilingualism and the development of executive function: The role of attention

Bialystok, Ellen

doi:10.1111/cdep.12116

Cited by 384Language Development and DisordersNeurobiology of Language and BilingualismChild and Animal Learning Development

Bilingualism and the development of executive function: The role of attention

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Bialystok, Ellen·2015·Child Development Perspectives

DOI 10.1111/cdep.12116PMC PMC4442091

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Abstract

In this article, I review research examining the effect of bilingualism on children's cognitive development and in particular, executive function. I describe studies reporting bilingual advantages in various tasks to identify the process or component of executive function that might be responsible for this bilingual advantage, discussing several possibilities, including inhibitory control. Finally, I propose attention is a fundamental process that initiates developmental differences in bilingual children from as early as infancy.

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Home language supports may foster DLLs' bilingual development, which in turn may strengthen executive functions important for quantitative reasoning and conceptual development.
“Specifically, it follows from the documented connection between bilingualism and executive function (e.g., Bialystok, 2015; 2017) that supports for home language would support DLLs’ developing bilingualism and, in turn, support the executive functioning skills that are critical for quantitative reasoning and conceptual development (e.g., Clark, Pritchard, & Woodward, 2010).”
From Dual language supports for dual language learners? Exploring preschool classroom instructional supports for DLLs' early learning outcomes (2021) · cites this paper as Bialystok, 2015

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The effects of bilingual experience on the development of executive function in early childhood.
Ma, Y. (2026) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0002248

Authors: Bialystok, E.
Affiliations: York University (CA)
Corresponding author: Bialystok, Ellen
ORCID: Bialystok, Ellen
Venue: Child Development Perspectives
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2015-04-28
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Pages: 117-121
ISSN: 1750-8592 (ISSN-L)
1750-8606
DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12116
PMC: PMC4442091
OpenAlex: W2019809310
Cited by: 375
References: 52
Citations by year: 2026: 16 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 62 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 5 · 2013: 1
FWCI: 87.66
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights (vor)
Locations: Child Development Perspectives (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: U.S. National Institutes of Health (R01HD052523)
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (A2559)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: bilingualism, executive function, attention, inhibitory control, bilingual advantage, cognitive development, children, infancy, language development

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Bilingualism and the development of executive function: The role of attention

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