Abstract
The majority of research on learning a non-native language has focused on the personal benefits of being bilingual or multilingual. In this paper, we focus on the potential positive effect of actively thinking in a non-native language. Our approach is inspired by recent experimental research suggesting that actively thinking in a non-native language leads to improved reasoning and decision-making, which is known as the foreign-language effect (FLE). We examine the possibility that one could choose to think in a non-native language in order to reap these potential benefits. Integrating this research with research in positive psychology, we explain how doing so might be understood as a type of “nudge,” or intervention that one could use to increase their chances of making autonomous decisions reflecting their own best interest. Nudges have been associated with improved outcomes with respect to many aspects of our lives – for instance sticking to goals, saving money, exercising more frequently, maintaining a healthy diet. It may be that bilinguals can assume an active role in increasing their happiness or well-being by making better decisions through strategic implementation of a non-native language in decision-making contexts. We also discuss the ethics of using the FLE as a nudge when it has beneficial consequences, as there are instances when doing so could be beneficial with respect to public policy as well. For instance, it has been shown that people are less averse to sustainable farming and eating practices (e.g., eating insects) when actively thinking in a non-native language. After reviewing the current research on the FLE, we suggest that further research needs to be done because actively thinking in a non-native language seems to function beneficially in some circumstances but may pose cognitive disadvantages in others.
Highlights
Research suggests that bilingualism is associated with benefits to cognition and executive functioning
Thinking Non-native Language New Nudge suggested that bilinguals have superior executive functioning (Bialystok et al, 2012) and are better able to switch between tasks (Prior and MacWhinney, 2010) in comparison with monolinguals
The idea that actively thinking in a non-native language influences the cognitive processes responsible for judgment and decision-making is known as the foreign-language effect (FLE), and it is distinct from the benefits of being bilingual generally, as all participants are bilingual, and yet the ones thinking in their non-native language show a marked difference from participants thinking in L1
Summary
Research suggests that bilingualism is associated with benefits to cognition and executive functioning. Thinking Non-native Language New Nudge suggested that bilinguals have superior executive functioning (Bialystok et al, 2012) and are better able to switch between tasks (Prior and MacWhinney, 2010) in comparison with monolinguals. Skapinker (2018) writes in Financial Times that “people working in a foreign language are less susceptible to cognitive bias” and applies this research to the workplace He states, an increasing number of people are working in organizations that operate in English, mixing native and second-language speakers. We discuss actively thinking in a non-native language as a type of nudge toward achieving good outcomes, both for oneself and for greater societal goods, such as sustainable food practices In this respect, we can understand using this type of nudge in pursuit of good outcomes as a potential element of positive psychology. We discuss the ethics of implementing active thinking in a nonnative language as a nudge to influence the behavior of ourselves and others and conclude that further research is essential for determining the efficacy of the nudge
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