Dual-Language Education for Low-Income Children: Preliminary Evidence of Benefits for Executive Function

Abstract

This investigation is an initial examination of possible enhancement of executive function through a dual-language (50:50) education model. The ethnically diverse, low-income sample of 120 children from Grades K, 2, and 4 consisted of approximately equal numbers of children enrolled in dual-language and traditional classrooms. Dual-language students in Grades 2 and 4 performed better on a measure from the Trail Making Task requiring inhibition and rule-switching. The results indicate that the established benefits of bilingual exposure can be generalized across SES and ethnicity and can be acquired within the context of elementary school programs.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This investigation was made possible by the cooperation of the Greene County School System in North Carolina, the facilitation provided by Stephanie Cain and Patricia MacNeill, and the involvement of students and their parents and teachers. The authors thank Jason Allaire, Patricia Collins, Thomas M. Hess, Agnes Bolonyai, Doug Gillan, and Peter A. Ornstein for helpful suggestions and the Department of Psychology at NC State University for purchase of materials. Appreciation is also extended to Nancy N. Warren and Dorothy Eubanks for assistance in data collection.