Bilinguals have better recall for code-switched information

Bibliographic Data

ID21640461
AuthorsLauren K Salig (0000-0002-9394-9033, University of Michigan, corresponding author), Jorge R Valdés Kroff (0000-0002-3943-5496, University of Florida), Jared M Novick (0000-0001-9528-8972, University of Maryland, College Park), L Robert Slevc (0000-0002-5183-6786, University of Maryland, College Park)
Year2026
Volume33
Issue2
Pages56-56
Publication date2026-02-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychonomic Bulletin & Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1069-9384 • E-ISSN: 1531-5320
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3758/s13423-025-02823-1
PMID41673364
OpenAlexW7128591116
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited28

Bilinguals frequently code-switch during conversations—a behavior often viewed as creating processing challenges for listeners. However, code-switching may also enhance comprehension and memory by directing attention to key information. This study tested whether bilinguals recall information better in code-switched contexts compared with single-language contexts and explored whether code-switching experience amplifies this benefit. In a preregistered study, Spanish–English bilinguals listened to short vignettes containing both single-language and code-switched segments. Participants recalled details more accurately when they had been presented within a code-switched sentence, suggesting that switches act as cues that boost attention and memory encoding. Moreover, bilinguals with greater everyday code-switching experience showed the strongest recall benefits, supporting the idea that listeners learn to associate switches with communicative importance. These findings challenge the long-standing view that code-switching primarily imposes cognitive costs in comprehension. Instead, they reveal how bilinguals leverage the communicative value of code-switches to enhance memory for linguistic content. By demonstrating that code-switches can promote learning and retention, this study highlights the potential for code-switching to serve as a communicative tool, particularly in contexts where understanding and recalling information is critical

Cognition · Comprehension · Information processing · Memoria · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Recall · Recall test · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Multilingual Education and Policy · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

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