A minimal mechanism of the bilingual advantage

Abstract

Looking to atypical populations to illuminate the functioning of core cognitive systems has a long history in the behavioral sciences (e.g., Caramazza, 1986; McCloskey, 1992). Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan (2017) continue that tradition in their keynote article, here by shedding light on how the development of phonological working memory (PWM) may be shaped not only by individual genetic variation but also by various features of the language acquisition context, whether that context is enriched, as in bilingualism; delayed, as with cochlear implantation (CI) or international adoption (IA); or impoverished, as with deaf children of hearing parents or repeat cases of otitis media. Their review of the literature demonstrates that a sensitive (/critical) period for phonological development, encompassing variation in quality, quantity, and timing of early exposure, has crucial consequences for an individual's level of PWM attainment and, by a compelling extension, for aspects of ongoing language development such as vocabulary learning and reading skills.