Switching Between Languages
If you live in a bilingual household, it must be of no surprise to you if you find yourself easily switching between two languages amid a conversation. What you have done is “code-switched,” which refers to successfully switching to a different language while inhibiting the use and competition of the other. In the past, as you may suspect, code-switching has shown positive benefits, including how it can enhance cognitive flexibility if performed frequently (Barbu et al., 2018). However, it has not been clear how habitual code-switching habits affect certain parts of cognitive control, namely cognitive shifting and inhibition. A study by Drs. Han, Li, and Filippi aims to answer this question, and it was done by recruiting 31 Mandarin-English bilinguals.
To complete the study, the researchers performed three tests to test their hypothesis, starting with a 30-minute picture naming task. In this task, researchers wanted to establish how language proficiency and use would affect switch and mixing costs. Participants were asked to name black and white line-drawn images in a particular language based on the color of the background the image was presented in with high accuracy quickly (if presented with a blue background with the British flag (in English) or with a red background with the Chinese flag (in Chinese)). The task was split up such that each participant had two blocks consisting of the same language and three blocks consisting of a mix, and their accuracy to the responses along with their reaction times were noted. Trial type (switch between languages in a mixed block, single-language block, and repeated language in a mixed language block) showed a main effect on their performance in the language-switching task. Switch trials had longer response times (RTs) than those of repeated ones, while RTs for repeated and single trials were similar. In terms of accuracy, in mixed language blocks, English repeated trials had greater accuracy than switch trials in the block or English single-language trials. Notably, participants had higher accuracy in Chinese single-language trials when compared to English single-language trials. In the second nonverbal color-shape switching task, participants were asked to make choices based on color or shape to test how well they were able to “shift”. After a cue was presented, participants were presented with a stimulus of interest and asked to make a response, and their accuracy and response time in the task were noted. While both switch and non-switch trials (consisting of repeated and single trials) showed high accuracy, participants were found to take longer in switch tasks. The final task in the experiment was the Go/No-go task, where participants were requested to play a Whack-the-mole game to test how well they could inhibit responses, while their response time and accuracy were recorded. In the game, participants were asked to “whack” if they saw moles (“go” stimuli), but if they saw an eggplant, they were supposed to inhibit their response (“no-go” stimuli). In this task, participants were found to respond with high accuracy quickly in the go-trials, whereas they had decreased accuracy in the no-go trials.
The results from the study, together, support the fact that participants were better able to make cognitive shifts and inhibit responses based on how often they code-switched regularly. This suggests that the more often someone code switches, the better advantage they may have in making cognitive shifts in the same task based on different cues presented, or in inhibiting responses in a task where a response is undesired. So, the next time you feel that you are at a disadvantage since you are bilingual, think back to this study and remember that your skill may help you in ways beyond language.
References:
Han, X., Li, W., & Filippi, R. (2022). The effects of habitual code-switching in bilingual language production on cognitive control. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 25(5), 869–889. doi:10.1017/S1366728922000244
Barbu, C., Orban, S., Gillet, S., & Poncelet, M. (2018). The Impact of Language Switching Frequency on Attentional and Executive Functioning in Proficient Bilingual Adults. Psychologica Belgica, 58(1), 115–127.DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.392
