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Introduction
Bilingualism is an important skill in the modern world, where different cultures constantly interact with one another. However, society appears to assume that age plays an influential role in the process of acquiring a second language (L2), with children receiving more attention as bilinguals. Ortega (2019) proposes that there is a perception of adults being poor L2 learners and facing more challenges than the younger generation. Nonetheless, bilingualisms onset later in life does not constitute a deficiency, and individuals of mature age can benefit from studying an L2. Being bilingual has a combination of positive and negative effects on adults, yet the advantages are likely to outweigh the drawbacks.
Negative Effects
The negative impacts of bilingualism on the adult population concern the simultaneous usage of two lingoes. First, individuals fluent in their native tongue may experience grammatical structuring difficulties in the first language (L1) when they start learning an L2 (Nickels et al., 2019). Second, full immersion into an L2 may influence word finding in L1, especially in distinct contexts (Nickels et al., 2019). For example, a person may have mastered two languages, with L1 being utilized at home and L2 being applied at work. However, it may be demanding for such an individual to use appropriate vocabulary when talking about their job with family members (Nickels et al., 2019). Third, bilinguals may have trouble locating the correct expressions to describe something. Bilingual people utilize fewer words in L1 and L2 due to communicating less in each language compared to monolinguals who use one vocabulary all the time (Nickels et al., 2019). Therefore, the negative effects of adults being bilingual are associated with difficulties in simultaneously managing two languages.
Positive Effects
The first positive impact of bilingualism on adults concerns the theory of mind (ToM). Navarro and Conway (2021) explain ToM as the social competence and communication ability necessary to understand different behaviors. The poor performance of ToM tasks can symptomize social-cognitive disorders (Navarro & Conway, 2021). Nonetheless, bilingual adults have more advanced ToM than monolinguals in terms of considering another persons perspective (Navarro & Conway, 2021). Notably, metalinguistic awareness, which is the capacity to reflect upon and manage language, is perceived as an influential facilitator of bilingual ToM (Navarro & Conway, 2021). Those of mature age can benefit from being bilingual by understanding other people better.
Another favorable effect of bilingualism concerns adults diagnosed with autism. Individuals who have autism encounter trouble during social exchanges, making them less satisfied with their community-related experiences (Digard et al., 2020). However, knowing an L2 is connected to autistic peoples positive perception of social life, potentially due to bilingualism changing how a person relates to others (Digard et al., 2020). Autistic adults can benefit from being bilingual by becoming better at interacting with society.
Controversial Effects
It is important to note that bilingualism is associated with many benefits, but some of them are controversial. Aging negatively influences individuals cognitive task performance and contributes to neural degradation (Nickels et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020). While there is no consistent data, bilingualisms impact appears to increase with age and lead to a sufficient neural system alongside greater cognitive reserve (Nickels et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020). The latter refers to efficiently using available brain stock to complete tasks (Nickels et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020). Moreover, the prolonged utilization of two languages assists in maintaining the volume of grey and white matter (Zhang et al., 2020). Although there is a lack of uniform evidence, bilingualism may help adults overcome some age-related cognitive and neural decline.
When considering the effects of bilingualism, it is noteworthy to mention dementia and aphasia. Much research has been conducted on the two disorders connection to bilingualism, yet the results are inconsistent. For example, it is debated whether aphasias severity differs between monolinguals and bilinguals (Nickels et al., 2019). Similarly, some studies suggest that being bilingual is associated with delayed onset of dementia, while others do not support such findings but indicate bilingualisms connection to better memory (Zhang et al., 2020). Overall, Nickels et al. (2019) and Zhang et al. (2020) suggest that the favorable power of bilingualism depends on many factors, including education level and socioeconomic status. Being bilingual may benefit the mental condition of some people, but not all.
Conclusion
To summarize, bilingualism has both positive and negative effects on adults, yet the benefits may be more influential. The drawbacks are caused by having to maintain two languages simultaneously and are represented by difficulties in using proper grammar and promptly choosing suitable words. In contrast, being bilingual provides a better comprehension of other persons behavior and can help improve the quality of social life for many individuals, including those diagnosed with autism. Furthermore, although some researchers propose that knowing an L2 can prevent age-related cognitive and mental issues, there is no consistent proof on the matter. However, bilingualism can contribute to sustained white and grey matter volume alongside enhanced memory. Therefore, while being bilingual leads to some inconvenience in expressing ones thoughts and does not guarantee protection from illnesses, adults ability to speak two languages helps them understand others and offers some mental benefits.
References
Digard, B. G., Sorace, A., Stanfield, A., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2020). Bilingualism in autism: Language learning profiles and social experiences. Autism, 24(8), 2166-2177.
Navarro, E., & Conway, A. R. (2021). Adult bilinguals outperform monolinguals in theory of mind. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(11), 1841-1851. Web.
Nickels, L., Hameau, S., Nair, V. K., Barr, P., & Biedermann, B. (2019). Ageing with bilingualism: Benefits and challenges. Speech, Language and Hearing, 22(1), 32-50. Web.
Ortega, L. (2019). SLA and the study of equitable multilingualism. The Modern Language Journal, 103, 23-38. Web.
Zhang, H., Wu, Y. J., & Thierry, G. (2020). Bilingualism and aging: A focused neuroscientific review. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 54, 1-18. Web.
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