Previous research diverges regarding the role of bilingualism in enhancing executive functions and also whether bilingualism affects the whole executive function system or specific components of it. The present study investigated the effects of bilingualism on the executive functions (inhibitory control and monitoring processes) of bilinguals who had acquired their L2 through formal instruction and lived in an L1-dominant context. The sample included two groups of bilinguals (children and adolescents) and two groups of monolinguals matched for age, gender, mother tongue, parents’ language, handedness, and vision. Child and adult versions of flanker task were administered to the participants. The behavioral data were collected on accuracy rates and reaction times for each trial of the tasks. The results indicated that compared to monolinguals, the two groups of bilinguals showed faster reaction times on incongruent trials and smaller flanker effects, indicating their superiority in inhibitory control and conflict resolution. However, the bilinguals were not generally faster than monolinguals, which showed that they did not possess enhanced monitoring processes. These results point to the modulating effects of interactional context and mode of L2 acquisition on the magnitude and scope of bilingual advantage in executive functions.

关于双语在增强执行功能方面的作用以及双语是否影响整个执行功能系统或其特定组成部分，先前的研究存在分歧。本研究调查了双语对通过正式教学获得 L2 并生活在 L1 主导环境中的双语者执行功能（抑制控制和监控过程）的影响。样本包括两组双语者（儿童和青少年）和两组在年龄、性别、母语、父母的语言、惯用手和视力方面相匹配的单语者。对参与者进行了儿童和成人版本的侧卫任务。行为数据是根据每次任务试验的准确率和反应时间收集的。结果表明，与单语者相比，两组双语者在不一致的试验中表现出更快的反应时间和较小的侧翼效应，表明他们在抑制控制和解决冲突方面具有优势。然而，双语者通常并不比单语者快，这表明他们没有加强监测过程。这些结果表明交互语境和二语习得模式对执行功能中双语优势的大小和范围的调节作用。