THE BILINGUAL BRAIN: LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN PRESCHOOLERS

For over half of the global population, communication involves switching between multiple languages. Despite the prevalence of bilingualism, findings regarding its cognitive impact during early childhood have been mixed and remain a topic of ongoing debate. Historically, second language use was often framed as detrimental to intelligence; however, more recent work has shifted toward examining its positive influence on higher-order cognitive processes that regulate emotion and goal-directed behavior, collectively referred to as executive function (EF). The objective of the present study was to examine the association between second language experience and EF skills in children aged 3–5 years. Children completed a comprehensive assessment battery measuring EF, language, social competence, and motor function. EF was assessed using the Dimensional Change Card Sort, Stroop task, Flanker task, and backward digit span. Language ability was measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, social competence through unstructured dyadic DUPLO play, and motor ability using a grasp-to-construct task. Caregivers completed questionnaires including the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool Version (BRIEF-P), the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, and the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire. Results showed performance-based differences on table-top measures of EF, as well as differences in social competence during dyadic DUPLO play. Caregiver-reported outcomes on the BRIEF-P indicated significantly stronger emotional control, flexibility, and inhibitory self-control among bilingual children compared to their monolingual peers. These findings suggest that bilingualism may support experience-dependent brain plasticity, extending beyond language-specific processes to broader executive function systems during early childhood.