Reviewing the bilingual cognitive control literature: Can a brain-based approach resolve the debate?

The prevalence of bilingualism has prompted considerable interest in the effects of speaking 2 languages on the mind and brain, and although it is now well-established that both languages are simultaneously active in the bilingual mind, whether this has any effect on general cognition remains a matter of intense debate. In this review, we examine some of the theoretical underpinnings and hypotheses of bilingual benefits, as well as experimental evidence in favor of and against the bilingual advantage claim. Given the complicated results of behavioral studies, we support a more holistic, brain-based approach to exploring the effects of bilingualism on cognitive control, and review 2 recent theories that outline neurobiological mechanisms by which the ability to control 2 languages affects general cognitive processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).