Bilingualism and its Impact on Cognitive Processes: Grace deMeurisse and Edith Kaan, University of Florida

Today's podcast highlights new research on the impact of bilingualism on cognitive processes by Grace deMeurisse and Edith Kaan from the University of Florida. Over half of the world speaks multiple languages, including the majority of first-generation immigrants to the United States. This exciting new research highlights the continuum of mental capacities expressed in bilingualism and how factors like age and proficiency levels further impact cognitive processes. Although politically our country has never embraced and promoted bilingualism, this timely research provides us with new insights on the positive impacts of bilingualism on cognition including improved attentional control and sophisticated information filtering. Given the influx of immigrant children into our school systems, HealthCare Untold applauds researchers Grace deMeurisse and Edith Kaan for their important contributions to understanding the intellectual value of being able to speak more than one language.