Word Reading by bilingual with ADHD

a psycholinguistics study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2025.1.48038

Keywords:

linguistic processing, bilingualism, ADHD, executive control

Abstract

This study investigates bilinguals with and without a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to explore the relationship between bilingualism and ADHD, based on how bilinguals process word reading. Bialystok et al. (2010) found a long-term effect between these two phenomena, a vocabulary reduction in two or more languages. However, the etiology of each phenomenon is distinct. While bilinguals experience vocabulary reduction due to the "effort" of managing two or more languages, ADHD is associated with weak executive control (Barkley, 2006; Digirolamo et al., 2001). A self-paced reading task of isolated words was then conducted, measuring word reading time and the correct answer rate on the final question. The results indicated that bilinguals with ADHD performed better on the experimental task, reading the first stimulus and the second word in less time than the group without ADHD. Regarding the accuracy rate, the control group scored more correct than the group with ADHD, but the participants with ADHD scored a significant number. Overall, the results from the bilinguals with ADHD provide evidence that points to enhanced executive control.

Keywords: Linguistic Processing; Bilingualism; ADHD; Executive control.

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Author Biographies

Debora Morais Barbosa da Silva, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

Brazilian, Master's in Linguistics, with training in Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics. In addition to her experience and passion for generative grammar and the unlimited combinatorial processes of human language processing, she has expertise in data analysis and programming experiments on the PCIbex platform. As a Language researcher, she seeks to understand the neural bases of people with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), as she also holds a postgraduate degree in Clinical Psychopedagogy. Recently, her research has focused on the combination of bilingualism and ADHD, due to the results of several studies that point to a  compensatory reserve in the bilingual brain. PhD candidate and researcher at the Faculty of Letters and member of the Center for Linguistics (CLUP) of the University of Porto. Also a researcher at the Language Processing Laboratory (LAPROL) of UFPB/Brazil.

Márcio Martins Leitão, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.

PhD in Linguistics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in 2005 and with two post-doctoral degrees in Psycholinguistics, from the University of Lisbon in 2015 (CAPES scholarship) and from the University of Porto in 2025 (CNPq scholarship). He graduated in Portuguese Language and Literature from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1997) and holds a master's degree in Linguistics from the same university (UFRJ/2001). Currently, he is a full professor of Linguistics at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), a CNPq 1D researcher, and vice-coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Linguistics (Proling/UFPB). He coordinates the Linguistic Processing Laboratory, Laprol – UFPB, and is a member of the National Network of Sciences for Education – Rede CpE. In the 2013-2014 biennium, he coordinated the Psycholinguistics Working Group (GT) of Anpoll and, in 2022, coordinated the Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics Commission of Abralin. His main research area is Experimental Psycholinguistics, focusing primarily on the following themes: coreference processing, anaphoric processing, lexical access, pathologies and deficits related to language (aphasia, Alzheimer's, stuttering, dyslexia), and linguistic processing in L2 learners. He is also interested in the interface between Linguistic Processing and Education, as well as Scientific Dissemination. In his Ciência Vitae curriculum, the most frequent terms in the contextualization of scientific, technological, and artistic-cultural production are: Psycholinguistics; Anaphoric Processing; Pronouns; Reflexives; Binding Theory; Animated and inanimate subject-object relative clauses; Online and offline analysis; Sentence Processing; Bilingualism; Northeast Brazil; Experimental Psycholinguistics; Interfaces;
Eye Movement; Psycholinguistics and Education.

Juliana Novo Gomes, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Brazilian linguist with a solid background in Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics. In addition to her experience and passion for syntactic and semantic generative systems and the unlimited combinatorial processes of human language processing, she possesses expertise in research methods such as EEG/ERPs and eye-tracking, data analysis, and programming (Python and R). As a language researcher, she seeks to understand the neural bases of syntactic structure construction. Thus, in addition to studies that directly address syntax-semantics at the sentence level, her research also addresses processes at the word level, such as lexical access and morphological and semantic decomposition. Recently, her research has also focused on characterizing the brain mechanisms of reading and language learning – such as those that underlie N170. She is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and an associate researcher at the Centre for Linguistics (CLUP) of the University of Porto. She is also an associate researcher at LingLab and the Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics Group (LTE/UMinho), at the Syntactic Access Laboratory (Acesin Laboratory/UFRJ), and at the Electroencephalography and Eye Tracking Laboratory (LER Laboratory/UFRJ). She was editor of the journals Diacrítica and Prolingua (UFPB) and, since 2020, has been part of the Psycholinguistics and Neuroscience of Language nucleus of Abralin. She was a researcher at FCT in CEHUM at the University of Minho. She has coordinated several projects at the syntax-semantics interface; language processing, language acquisition, indigenous language (Karajá), and educational neuroscience.

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Published

2025-12-19

How to Cite

Morais Barbosa da Silva, D., Martins Leitão, M., & Novo Gomes, J. (2025). Word Reading by bilingual with ADHD: a psycholinguistics study. Letrônica, 18(1), e48038 . https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2025.1.48038

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Vol. 18 No. 1 (2025): Single Volume - Continuous flow

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF (A)TYPICAL READING AND WRITING IN MONOLINGUISTIC AND BILINGUAL PEOPLE IN THE LIGHT OF PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

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Copyright (c) 2026 Debora Morais Barbosa da Silva, Márcio Martins Leitão, Juliana Novo Gomes

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