Effects of bilingualism on the cognitive development of selected Nigerian University undergraduates

Abstract

This study is an exploration of the perceptions and experiences of Igbo-English bilingual undergraduates in relation to the social, cultural  and cognitive benefits and drawbacks of bilingualism. In this study, a questionnaire was designed and then given to 150 Igbo-English  bilinguals from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Enugu State University of Science and Technology. All the responses were  identified, categorised and analysed qualitatively. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development was adopted as the  theoretical framework for this study. The findings showed that bilingualism has both positive and negative social, cultural and cognitive  effects. Positively, from the perceptions and experiences of the undergraduates under study, bilingualism improves selective attention,  and enhances the auditory stem response, among others, while negatively, it can be viewed as a threat to monolingual culture, and also  affects speaking a second language other than that of the home environment, which creates conflict and confusion among parents and  children.