The impact of learning foreign languages on the cognitive development and academic performance of university students

Abstract

Learning foreign languages is an integral part of modern higher education. This study aims to identify the relationship between foreign language acquisition, cognitive development and academic performance of university students. The research methodology includes a longitudinal analysis of language competencies, cognitive abilities, and academic performance of students (N=564) from 5 Russian universities during 4 years of study. Psycholinguistic tests, methods for assessing cognitive functions (memory, attention, thinking), and analysis of academic documentation were used. The results showed that students with a higher level of foreign language proficiency demonstrated better indicators of working memory development (correlation coefficient r=0.68; p<0.01), cognitive flexibility (r=0.54; p<0.05), and critical thinking (r=0.61; p<0.01). There was also a positive correlation between language skills and the average academic performance (r=0.72; p<0.01). The data obtained indicate that learning foreign languages promotes cognitive development and has a positive effect on students' overall academic success. The results of the study are important for optimizing language programs in universities and can be used in the development of cognitive training. Further research may be aimed at studying the effects of multilingualism and the role of individual cognitive functions in learning foreign languages.