Contributions of verbal and executive processes on cognitive and academic performance in monolingual and bilingual elementary students

语言能力和执行功能都可以预测小学生的问题解决能力和学习成绩。这意味着有关双语儿童的复杂情况：一方面，有证据表明在EF方面具有双语优势。另一方面，双语儿童在语言能力(例如，每种语言的词汇)和学业成就方面往往都优于单语同龄人。基于这一研究现状，该项目有两个目标：在项目A部分，我们将调查语言状况(单语和双语)、语言能力和EF之间的关系，以及它们对单语和双语儿童学习成绩的不同和共同贡献。特别是，我们将研究语言能力良好的儿童(其中，与双语儿童相比，单语儿童可被视为比例过高)可能至少部分弥补EF的劣势的建议。此外，先前的研究表明，语言能力对学习成绩的贡献可能部分源于这样一个事实，即语言能力较好的儿童可能能够通过使用言语自我指导来提高他们在具有较高EF要求的任务(如解决问题任务和许多学习任务)中的表现。在项目B部分，我们将研究语言能力、言语自我指导的使用以及在高EF要求的任务中的表现之间的关系。从质和量两个方面对言语自我教育进行分析。此外，我们将调查使用口头自我指导的训练是否可以提高儿童在高EF要求的任务中的表现。

Both language abilities and executive functions (EF) predict problem solving abilities and academic performance in elementary students. This implies a complex situation with regard to bilingual children: On the one hand, there is evidence for a bilingual advantage with regard to EF. On the other hand, bilingual children are frequently outperformed by their monolingual peers with regard to both language abilities (e.g., vocabulary in each language) and academic success. Based on this state of research, the proposed project has two aims: In project part A, we will investigate the relationships between language status (monolingual versus bilingual), language abilities, and EF, as well as their distinct and joint contributions to academic performance in monolingual and bilingual children. In particular, we will examine the suggestion that children with good language abilities (among whom monolingual children can be considered to be overrepresented as compared to bilingual children) might be able to compensate, at least partially, for disadvantages in EF. Further, previous research suggests that the contribution of language abilities to academic performance might in part result from the fact that children with advantaged language abilities might be able to increase their performance in tasks with high EF demands (such as problem solving tasks and many academic tasks) by using verbal self-instructions. In project part B, we will examine relationships between language abilities, use of verbal self-instructions, and performance in tasks with high EF demands. Both quality and quantity of verbal self-instructions will be analyzed. Furthermore, we will investigate whether a training in using verbal self-instructions might improve children's performance in tasks with high EF demands.