Cognitive Benefits of Language Learning: Broadening our Perspectives

Language learning touches on everyone’s lives. Yet the cognitive benefits of language learning seem to be less well understood. The project Cognitive Benefits of Language Learning: Broadening our perspectives was funded by the British Academy as part of a broader initiative related to language teaching and learning. The project began in March 2016 and finished in January 2018.  

This report begins with a summary of the systematic review of the literature on the cognitive benefits of bilingualism and the cognitive benefits of language learning, including a section on sign language learning. This is followed by two sections describing the literature on cross-curricular benefits of language learning; and describing the literature on cognitive benefits relating to creativity. Further sections provide an analysis of grey literature; describe the findings of two surveys (adult and youth) conducted by the project on attitudes to language learning; and describe a series of focus group interviews held with modern languages tutors, PGCE languages students, and with a senior civil servant. The final section summarises the report and outlines action points for future work.