Which of the following statements about children who are bilingual is true?

• A. Bilingual children often show enhanced cognitive flexibility compared to monolingual children.
• B. Bilingual children are less likely to develop metalinguistic awareness than monolingual children.
• C. Bilingualism in childhood leads to poorer academic performance in all subjects.
• D. Bilingual children typically experience significant delays in overall language development.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms in the question, such as 'bilingual children,' 'cognitive flexibility,' 'metalinguistic awareness,' and 'language development.' Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously.
2. Step 2: Review research findings in developmental psychology that compare bilingual and monolingual children, focusing on cognitive abilities and language skills.
3. Step 3: Recognize that bilingual children often develop enhanced cognitive flexibility because managing two languages requires switching between linguistic systems, which strengthens executive control functions.
4. Step 4: Note that bilingual children tend to have greater metalinguistic awareness, meaning they are more aware of language structure and use, contrary to the statement that they are less likely to develop it.
5. Step 5: Understand that bilingualism does not inherently cause delays in language development or poorer academic performance; in fact, many studies show bilingual children perform as well as or better than monolingual peers in various cognitive and academic areas.