A Review Based Reflection on the Ongoing Debate of Bilingualism and Enhanced Executive Control Functions

Abstract

As the topic bilingualism and enhanced executive control functions (EF) still continues to be a matter of debate, the present review study has examined the existing literature in order to understand the nature of inconsistencies and contradictions in the findings relating to this area. Major areas of investigation included the relationship between bilingual language control and executive functions, the distinct components of EF getting advantage from bilingualism and its biological Underpinnings, various techniques used for assessing EF and the role of other confounding factors such as socio-economic status, age of acquisition and language experience. The outcomes revealed that there is a prevailing inconsistency in the findings, may be due to the complexity and lack of clarity in the concepts, usage of varying techniques to measure the same construct, EF, and failure to incorporate the relevant confounding factors.