The Psychology of Bilingualism

This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Ellen Bialystok, Professor of Psychology at York University. Ellen Bialystok is a world-leading expert on the effects of bilingualism on cognitive processes across our lifespan. This conversation examines how she discovered differences in the development of essential cognitive and language abilities for bilingual children, the use of different brain networks by monolingual and bilingual young adults performing simple conflict tasks, and the postponement of symptoms of dementia in bilingual older adults, and many more fascinating aspects of bilingualism.

This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, The Plastic Revolution, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:

I. Focusing on Bilingualism- From pedagogy to battling stereotypes
II. Becoming Scientific- Inklings of plasticity
III. Out of the Minds of Babes- Focusing attention from the earliest moments
IV. Differences and Definitions- Statistically significant results, and defining bilingualism
V. Multitasking and Focusing- Real-world applications of bilingualism's advantages
VI. In the Brain- What's happening inside
VII. The Art of Measurement- The power of fMRI
VIII. Bilingualism, Extended- The challenge of isolating relevant factors
IX. Bilingualism and Dementia- Surprising results and current puzzles
X. Public Policy Implications- The societal benefits of bilingualism
XI. Open Questions and Speculations- Ongoing mysteries and the problem with projections