Early Exposure to Bilingualism and Subsequent School Trajectories

Several contrasting hypotheses have been formulated about the potential effects of bilingualism on children's cognitive development and their educational success. Yet, few studies empirically test such hypotheses, particularly outside of the US context. In this paper, we use a recent, nationally representative survey of adults living in France (the FQP surveys - Formation et Qualification Professionnelle, Professional Training and Qualification) to question whether being exposed to a bilingual environment (considering both regional and foreign languages) at age 5 is correlated to subsequent educational trajectories. Furthermore, we explore whether characteristics linked to the heterogeneity of the bilingual population modify these associations. We find that early bilingual exposure is negatively associated with several educational outcomes, particularly towards the end of the educational trajectory. Negative correlations are especially striking among those from a North African background, and less marked among those of Southern European origins, but also characterise regional language speakers. This disadvantage is more prominent among those from advantaged backgrounds, compared to those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Our results highlight the importance of studying correlations between early bilingual exposure and academic subsequent trajectories in light of the heterogeneity of bilingual pupils' backgrounds.