The cognitive impact of bilingualism on aging and second language acquisition by older learners

Abstract

This article aims to present, through a review of the available literature, what is known so far about the cognitive impact of lifelong bilingualism on aging and the peculiarities of older learners in their second language acquisition process. Recent research shows that bilingualism can act as a protective mechanism against cognitive decline associated with aging. However, there are studies that contest this view and show the need for further investigation. Despite the numerous studies on bilingualism and aging, there is a notable lack of studies on the acquisition of a second language by older learners. It is known that the cognitive performance of older adults differs from that of young adults. More specifically, studies show deficits in executive functions and decreased processing speed (PARK; REUTER-LORENZ, 2014). Therefore, it is necessary to understand the peculiarities of the older learn in order to investigate their process of acquiring a second language.