[Published Article] Bilinguals' metacognition is affected by the language used as a medium of education
On July 30th, the journal Review of Education published the article “Metacognitive efficiency in bilinguals depends on the language of instruction”, authored by Mikhail Ordin and Leona Polyanskaya, researchers at the LMD Laboratory
In this study, the authors explore the factors that contribute to the metacognitive advantage often observed in bilingual individuals. While previous research has shown that bilinguals tend to exhibit greater metacognitive efficiency than monolinguals that is, a better ability to accurately assess their own judgments, bilinguals do not form a homogeneous group, and it remained unclear which specific aspects of bilingualism underpin this cognitive benefit.
The results of the study indicate that one key variable is the language used as the medium of instruction throughout schooling, at least up to secondary education. Specifically, the use of a second language (in terms of acquisition order) or a minority language as the main language of instruction is associated with greater metacognitive efficiency provided that students have sufficient proficiency in that language to follow academic content.
This finding has important implications for educational policy in bilingual settings. Many bilingual schools adopt the practice of associating each subject with a single language consistently across school years, without switching the language of instruction. While this approach may have certain benefits, the authors suggest it may also limit the development of metacognition.
Given that metacognition is closely linked to academic achievement, it may be beneficial to reconsider instructional practices in bilingual education. Alternating the language of instruction across subjects or school years could provide students with a more balanced bilingual experience and promote metacognitive growth. The researchers highlight the importance of recognising that different dimensions of bilingualism may differentially impact metacognitive development.
The published article is available here.