LINGUISTIC AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIAN BILINGUAL AND MONOLINGUAL CHILDREN: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY

Abstract: This study explores differences in linguistic and cognitive development between a bilingual and a monolingual 6-year-old child. The bilingual child speaks Romanian and Italian, while the monolingual child speaks only Romanian. Both children share similar socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, and the bilingual child has been exposed to both languages since birth. The study examines vocabulary size, understanding of linguistic concepts, and cognitive abilities, with a focus on flexibility and problem-solving. Preliminary findings suggest potential differences in how linguistic and cognitive skills develop in bilingual and monolingual children, highlighting possible advantages in cognitive flexibility for bilinguals and variations in vocabulary distribution. These results underline the complexity of bilingual development and the need for further research to better understand its impact on both linguistic and cognitive outcomes.