Topic > The effect of bilingualism on working memory

IntroductionLearning and memory are related to each other. So, people consider them as a problem. However, specialists consider them to be two different processes. You can learn any language by living in the country where it is spoken or by studying it at school. Then, you can use your memory to speak that language by retrieving the words you have memorized. Memory is important for learning anything. It helps you store information, so you can use it whenever needed. Our memory is not just a process. Psychologically, different types of memory function in humans. As a result, different parts of the brain are at work. Both memory and learning depend on each other. So, we should know whether learning two languages ​​will affect our working memory or not. Who is bilingual? Bilingualism is a difficult term to define. There is no specific definition of bilingualism. One of the definitions is "the use of two languages". This definition can include people who have only some expressions, such as greetings, in the target language. The other definition includes those who have perfect control of both languages. Bloomfield defined the term bilingualism as “native-like control of two languages” (1933, P.55). Mackey has a different view, defining bilingualism as “the ability to use more than one language” (1962, P.52). Weinreich (1953) defined bilingualism, similarly to Mackey, as “the practice of using two languages ​​alternately.” Degrees of bilingualism1- Balanced bilingualsLambert et al. who was the first to use the term balanced bilingual to describe those with native-like skills. Fishman (1972) argued that one can speak two languages ​​fluently... the focus of the article... is to find out whether there is an effect of bilingualism on working memory. Some studies have shown that there is no difference in performance between bilinguals and monolinguals while others have shown that bilinguals performed better than monolinguals. I agree with those who have said that bilingualism affects working memory. I think the bilingual participants, in those studies that showed that monolinguals are better than bilinguals, had identical memory but did poorly on the verbal tasks. Bialystok (2009) said that it is best to use nonverbal tasks to compare the memory of monolinguals. and bilingual. Bilingualism has an influence on cognitive function. Hutchison said: “Other studies have shown that bilingual children are better at planning and cognitive control. Thus, bilingualism affects working memory. (2010, p.54)