Working Memory (WM)
Working memory is defined as a kind of mental “workbench” where individuals manipulate and assemble information when they make decisions, solve problems, comprehend written and spoken language (Baddely, 2012). And is central in a wide range of cognitive abilities.
WM and Bilingualism The primary process of executive function includes cognitive control like inhibition and shifting in working memory. This involves the ability to override a habitual but incorrect response and to be able to switch between tasks or mental tasks (Brocki, 2014). Bilingual children are able to comprehend and speak two languages fluently. Hence, the acquisition of language depends heavily on working memory, which allows bilingual children to …show more content…
This is called the working memory capacity, which varies from one individual to another. Hence, memory span tasks are the most common measures of the working memory capacity for older children adolescents and adults. Memory span tasks requires an individual for ordered serial recall of a stimuli immediately after presentation without any additional processing, simple span or following completion of an intervening mental tasks also known as complex span. Reading, counting, listening, operational and backwards digit span are examples of complex span. Hence, individuals who are able to allocate attention in dual tasks perform better in complex span tasks because they encode stimuli faster, are less distracted and reflect cognitive inhibition (Kane, …show more content…
They perform better in mental inhibition, selection, sustaining attention, and also to switch and adapt to ongoing changes and represent and retrieve information adaptively.
Children who learn second language at a young age have an advantage in the development of analysis of representations or control attention. For instance, an English-Chinese bilingual requires cognitive flexibility to encode, associate, shift and inhibit words from the two languages. When one switch between English and Chinese, the brain show increase activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with cognitive skills like attention and inhibition (Bialystok, 2004). It requires a more advanced cognitive skill to encode, represent and make connections between a particular word of a language and its meaning. Bilinguals also need to be able to switch between two languages requires a higher working memory skill, as compared to monolinguals that does not have shift from one language to another. Lastly, two languages representation co exist in bilingual children hence, one of the languages must have the cognitive ability and flexibility to constantly inhibit one language to prevent ongoing intrusions (Bialystok,
Working memory is defined as a kind of mental “workbench” where individuals manipulate and assemble information when they make decisions, solve problems, comprehend written and spoken language (Baddely, 2012). And is central in a wide range of cognitive abilities.
WM and Bilingualism The primary process of executive function includes cognitive control like inhibition and shifting in working memory. This involves the ability to override a habitual but incorrect response and to be able to switch between tasks or mental tasks (Brocki, 2014). Bilingual children are able to comprehend and speak two languages fluently. Hence, the acquisition of language depends heavily on working memory, which allows bilingual children to …show more content…
This is called the working memory capacity, which varies from one individual to another. Hence, memory span tasks are the most common measures of the working memory capacity for older children adolescents and adults. Memory span tasks requires an individual for ordered serial recall of a stimuli immediately after presentation without any additional processing, simple span or following completion of an intervening mental tasks also known as complex span. Reading, counting, listening, operational and backwards digit span are examples of complex span. Hence, individuals who are able to allocate attention in dual tasks perform better in complex span tasks because they encode stimuli faster, are less distracted and reflect cognitive inhibition (Kane, …show more content…
They perform better in mental inhibition, selection, sustaining attention, and also to switch and adapt to ongoing changes and represent and retrieve information adaptively.
Children who learn second language at a young age have an advantage in the development of analysis of representations or control attention. For instance, an English-Chinese bilingual requires cognitive flexibility to encode, associate, shift and inhibit words from the two languages. When one switch between English and Chinese, the brain show increase activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with cognitive skills like attention and inhibition (Bialystok, 2004). It requires a more advanced cognitive skill to encode, represent and make connections between a particular word of a language and its meaning. Bilinguals also need to be able to switch between two languages requires a higher working memory skill, as compared to monolinguals that does not have shift from one language to another. Lastly, two languages representation co exist in bilingual children hence, one of the languages must have the cognitive ability and flexibility to constantly inhibit one language to prevent ongoing intrusions (Bialystok,