[originaltext] In the early 1950s, researchers found that people scored lower

In the early 1950s, researchers found that people scored lower on intelligence tests if they spoke more than one language. (23) Researchers in the 60s found the opposite—bilingual people scored higher than monolinguals—people who speak only one language. So which is it? Researchers presented their newest studies last month at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The latest evidence shows that being bilingual does not necessarily make people smarter. (24) But researcher Ellen Stock says it probably does make you better at certain skills because bilingual people are often better at controlling their attention—a function called the executive control system. Her work shows that bilingual children are better able to separate a word from its meaning, and more likely to have friends from different cultures. Bilingual adults are often four to five years later than others in developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Foreign language study has increased in the United States. But linguist Alison Mackey at Georgetown University points out that (25) English-speaking countries are still far behind the rest of the world. In England, like in the United States, he says, bilingualism is seen as something special and unique and something to be commented on, whereas in many other parts of the world being bilingual is just seen as a natural part of life.
23. What did researchers find in the 1960s?
24. What does Ellen Stock find about bilingual people?
25. What does Alison Mackey say about bilingual education in the United States?