What exactly is cognitive control, and what advantages does it offer? How does language, particularly multilingualism, enhance cognitive control?

I’ll return to this language network that I just described. You don’t need to appreciate the complexities of the network, but just understand that every language you speak operates according to the same basic network, albeit with different activations. For example, when speaking Arabic, the network functions slightly differently than when speaking English due to different speech sounds and meanings. So, there are various nodes of activation.

Within a bilingual mind, when you’re speaking one language, you need a mechanism to suppress the other. It’s not useful to have multiple languages active simultaneously. Cognitive control is the ability of your frontal lobe, or brain, to instruct your language network on which one to activate and which ones to suppress. Essentially, cognitive control involves activating one by suppressing others.

If I were bilingual and suddenly switched languages, my frontal lobe would adjust, saying, “Okay, switch to the new network.” Imagine dealing with multiple languages daily, as you do in London. Your frontal lobe becomes adept at suppressing irrelevant information and languages. Cognitive control theories go further, suggesting that bilinguals are skilled at suppressing irrelevant information in general.

This ability to focus on the task at hand without distractions is advantageous. Loraine K. Obler, from the University of York, Canada, argues that bilinguals leverage cognitive control to enhance working memory and task-switching abilities. She controversially suggests that bilinguals may experience slower rates of age-related memory decline, potentially delaying conditions like Alzheimer’s. However, it’s important to note that this claim is still under debate.

Nonetheless, the idea is that bilingualism strengthens cognitive control, particularly the frontal lobe, which could have long-term benefits in terms of cognitive health and aging. This skill of being bilingual helps beef up the frontal lobe and provides possible benefits. So, one area where people argue bilinguals have an advantage is in their ability to suppress irrelevant information and strengthen cognitive control, making it less likely to deteriorate.

Reference:

Luk, Gigi, E. R. I. C. De Sa, and Ellen Bialystok. “Is there a relation between onset age of bilingualism and enhancement of cognitive control?.” Bilingualism: Language and cognition 14.4 (2011): 588-595.

This post is part of multiple topics about “Language and the Mind”, a podcast that has been published in Real Sciences with Spencer Kelly the co-director of Colgate’s Center for Language and Brain in Colgate University.

Link to Language and the mind: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Language-and-the-Mind/dp/B085SZ9PSZ