Analysing and disproving misconceptions about early bilingualism

The inaccurate conclusions reached through earlier studies on bilingualism have heavily contributed to the establishment of myths and misconceptions, impacting people’s perception of the topic up to present day. In fact, although bilingualism is quickly becoming the new norm, some parents and even professionals may still show signs of hesitance when deciding to raise children bilingually. Through the analysis of research on bilingualism and how it has evolved over the last century it is possible to trace some of the misinformation back to methodological errors in data collection. Poor knowledge of the topic and failure to account for crucial variables have deflected from the potential benefits of bilingualism. However, as more recent research abides by specific criteria, new social and cognitive advantages are being discovered, like the delay of dementia as a consequence of aging.