Patty Kittrell

Spanish 1010
Reflection
Spring 2016
In a study testing the cognitive effects of being bilingual, 96 children ages 5-8 were put to
the test to compare cognitive abilities (Ben-Zeev, 1977). These children were split into 4 groups
based on their demographics. Two groups were split into children who lived in Israel vs. children
who lived in the U.S. Then those two groups were split into children who were bilingual
(speaking Hebrew and English) vs. children who were monolingual (speaking only Hebrew in
Israel or only English in the United States). The study showed that in some ways, due to a coping
mechanism developed, some cognitive abilities are actually enhanced in bilingual young
children.
In spite of lower vocabulary level, bilinguals showed more advanced processing of
verbal material, more discriminating perceptual distinctions, more propensity to search for
structure in perceptual situations, and more capacity to reorganize their perceptions in response
to feedback (Ben-Zeev, 1977). This means that learning two sets of different foreign vocabulary
forces an individual to compare the differences between cultures and notice particular similarities
between culture languages. Communication can shape our perceptions. In this case, because of
the constant switching between languages, it causes one to increase their ability to process verbal
material, and increase the ability to remember distinct and structured perceptions of reality at
younger ages (Ben-Zeev, 1977).
I really enjoyed reading this study, because as a psychology student I am very interested
in developmental psychology. As a swim instructor and coach for the Jr. Panthers swim team in

Rose Park, I am very interested in learning Spanish, and learning about how being a part of the
Hispanic culture in the United States effects the kids in my community that I work with. Many of
the kids I teach and work with have parents that dont speak English. Their children translate for
them. I notice that this is a lot a pressure for these kids. They have to be more responsible for
themselves and for the important information they receive from school notifications, fees, and
registration waivers. They have to be particular about the words they use and translate for their
parents.
I also find that many of my bilingual swimmers are very funny and practical. They
always have funny jokes to tell me and they can always pick up on my jokes and subtle humor.
Ive also noticed that my bilingual swimmers are some my most disciplined and veteran
swimmers.
I know that I havent talked a lot about myself and my personal advancements for this
reflection, but I think that as a public servant working my way up to management in parks and
recreation, it is important for me to learn about my communitys demographic.
I have also learned about some Hispanic cultures. I know that most Hispanic traditions
today come from ancient techniques. There are deep routes in most Hispanic cultures. I have also
learned about some of the hardships that Hispanic cultures in Central and South America have
faced. Currently, many of these countries have high levels of poverty in the population (IFAD,
2009). I know that many of the families I serve came to this country for a better chance at
success. It can be hard to adjust to new cultures and languages. Learning more about different
Hispanic cultures has helped me bridge some of the gaps between cultures. I love that I can
better understand the cultural needs of my community and actually communicate with them too!

References
Ben-Zeev, S. (1977). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive strategy and cognitive
development. Child Development, 48(3), 1009-1018. Retrieved from:
http://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-languages/advocacy/discover-languages/whatthe-research-shows/references-cognitive#cognitive_development on Apr 27, 2016.
IFAD. (2009). Rural poverty in Latin America. Regions & Country: Rural Poverty Portal.
Retrieved from: http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/region/home/tags/americas on Apr 27,
2016.