Speaking multiple languages is a developmental experience for some, but requires effortful learning for others. This presentation entails recent scientific findings on bilingualism and the potential value of these findings for education.
Gigi Luk's research on the cognitive consequences of bilingualism extends across the lifespan. These cognitive consequences include literacy acquisition in children and executive functions in young and older adults. In addition to investigating the science of bilingualism, Dr. Luk has examined how to harness scientific findings on bilingualism to improve educational experience for children from diverse language backgrounds. Dr. Luk obtained her Ph. D. in Cognitive Psychology from York University in Toronto, Canada. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Rotman Research Institute at the Baycrest Center in Toronto. She joined the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2011.