Abstract
Introduction. The article presents the results of a study of the cognitive domain of older preschool children as a function of sociocultural conditions shaped by bilingualism, primarily in the cases of coincidence, non-coincidence or partial coincidence of the language(s) of communication in the family with the language(s) of upbringing and education in a preschool general education organization. The research focuses on basic cognitive functions and those indicators of cognitive functioning that are associated with comprehension, analysis and use of language in interaction with the outside world.
Methods. The sample included 818 preschool children aged 5.3 to 7.5 years old (mean age 6.4 years) from 8 subjects of the Russian Federation (54.3% girls). Of the study participants, 71.5% communicated at home in one language, while 28.5% used two languages—Russian as the state language and their native language from among the languages of the peoples of Russia. All children attended preschool educational organizations: 64.1% were enrolled in preparatory groups, where upbringing and education were conducted exclusively in the state Russian language, and 35.9% were enrolled in classes, which implemented regional educational component in the native language alongside the state language.
Results. The findings revealed specific features of the cognitive domain of older preschool children depending on the coincidence, non-coincidence, or partial coincidence of the language(s) of communication in the family and preschool education, which leads to change in the capacity of the cognitive resource when performing everyday and learning-related tasks. Intergroup differences were determined not only in the level of development of individual cognitive functions, but also the structure of the relationships among all elements of the cognitive domain. This made it possible to assess the cognitive resources of older preschool children as a function of sociocultural conditions of development and education influenced by bilingualism in a multinational state.
Discussion. The obtained results are interpreted in the context of the methodology of the theories of cognitive resource (Druzhinin, 2007) and language control (Green & Abutalebi, 2023).
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