Attention: The Cognitive Effects of Learning to Read in Arabic by Chinese Learners at an Old Age

This paper presents the results of a retrospective study that investigates cognitive effects learning foreign language in late adulthood. The learner group, consisting 21 L1 Chinese speakers who have been to read Arabic for 2 years and 4 months, were compared matched group on their performance series tasks tap into working memory, processing speed, reasoning, conflict monitoring, attention. showed group’s was significantly better attention (measured by Posner cueing task). Their memory capacities digit span tests) also better, but difference only reached marginal significance. findings suggest may lead improvement abilities, which is line with converging evidence field bilingualism showing executive underlie mechanism how bilingual experience can alter brain system.