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Chapter 6. Does bilingual language control decline in older age?

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Abstract

We investigated age-related decline of bilingual language control. Thirteen older and 13 younger bilinguals performed a verbal fluency task (completing the same letter and semantic categories in each language and switching languages after every category), and a non-linguistic flanker task. In letter fluency, bilinguals produced fewer correct responses after switching languages, suggesting inhibition of the previously-used language. However, this testing-order effect did not differ between groups and older bilinguals produced few wrong-language intrusions, implying intact ability to apply inhibition in older age. In contrast, age-related deficits in the flanker task were robust, implying dissociations between language control and domain-general executive control. In semantic fluency, there were no testing-order effects but older bilinguals produced more intrusions than younger bilinguals, and more intrusions than in letter fluency. Thus, bilinguals may flexibly modulate the degree of inhibition when they can benefit from semantic priming between languages, but less efficiently so in older age.

Abstract

We investigated age-related decline of bilingual language control. Thirteen older and 13 younger bilinguals performed a verbal fluency task (completing the same letter and semantic categories in each language and switching languages after every category), and a non-linguistic flanker task. In letter fluency, bilinguals produced fewer correct responses after switching languages, suggesting inhibition of the previously-used language. However, this testing-order effect did not differ between groups and older bilinguals produced few wrong-language intrusions, implying intact ability to apply inhibition in older age. In contrast, age-related deficits in the flanker task were robust, implying dissociations between language control and domain-general executive control. In semantic fluency, there were no testing-order effects but older bilinguals produced more intrusions than younger bilinguals, and more intrusions than in letter fluency. Thus, bilinguals may flexibly modulate the degree of inhibition when they can benefit from semantic priming between languages, but less efficiently so in older age.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. The importance of bilingualism for the aging brain 1
  4. Chapter 2. Cognitive problems in older adults 9
  5. Chapter 3. How aging and bilingualism influence language processing 21
  6. Chapter 4. Length of residence 55
  7. Chapter 5. Individual differences in cognitive control advantages of elderly late Dutch-English bilinguals 77
  8. Chapter 6. Does bilingual language control decline in older age? 99
  9. Chapter 7. Auditory word recognition across the lifespan 131
  10. Chapter 8. Executive control processes in verbal and nonverbal working memory 161
  11. Chapter 9. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve and Alzheimer’s disease 185
  12. Chapter 10. The effect of language skills on dementia in a Swedish longitudinal cohort 205
  13. Chapter 11. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve, aging, and dementia 219
  14. Chapter 12. The impact of bilingualism on cognitive ageing and dementia 243
  15. Chapter 13. History-inspired reflections on the Bilingual Advantages Hypothesis 265
  16. Index 297
Growing Old with Two Languages
This chapter is in the book Growing Old with Two Languages
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.53.06iva

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. The importance of bilingualism for the aging brain 1
  4. Chapter 2. Cognitive problems in older adults 9
  5. Chapter 3. How aging and bilingualism influence language processing 21
  6. Chapter 4. Length of residence 55
  7. Chapter 5. Individual differences in cognitive control advantages of elderly late Dutch-English bilinguals 77
  8. Chapter 6. Does bilingual language control decline in older age? 99
  9. Chapter 7. Auditory word recognition across the lifespan 131
  10. Chapter 8. Executive control processes in verbal and nonverbal working memory 161
  11. Chapter 9. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve and Alzheimer’s disease 185
  12. Chapter 10. The effect of language skills on dementia in a Swedish longitudinal cohort 205
  13. Chapter 11. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve, aging, and dementia 219
  14. Chapter 12. The impact of bilingualism on cognitive ageing and dementia 243
  15. Chapter 13. History-inspired reflections on the Bilingual Advantages Hypothesis 265
  16. Index 297
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