Bilingual Language Experience and Executive Functions: Current State of Research

Bilingualism has been claimed to enhance executive functions, as evidenced by studies comparing bilinguals and monolinguals across various executive function tasks. Despite this assertion, recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses reveal contradictory findings, challenging the existence of the “bilingual advantage” phenomenon. The variability in results is attributed not to the data obtained but rather to the diverse methodological paradigms utilized across studies. This article analyzes the operationalization of bilingualism and executive functions in contemporary research alongside a critical examination of the theoretical underpinnings linking bilingualism and executive functions. The paper concludes by outlining avenues for future research, emphasizing the necessity for researchers to account for individual bilingualism-related factors and specifics of the executive function tasks. Furthermore, it advocates for the development of new falsifiable theories that suggest testable hypotheses, thus advancing the field's understanding of bilinguals’ executive functioning.

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