There was another finding that was interesting, which was that
children who were bilingual seemed to have more flexibility in the use of symbols.
So, for example, all kids at some point realize that you could call the moon
spaghetti, and that wasn't a problem, to say that the moon is spaghetti and
that spaghetti is the moon.
All children at some age are willing to realize that they can substitute one noun
for another, so if you ask someone as a ten year old.
Can you call the moon spaghetti?
They'd say sure we can call the moon spaghetti, and
then I can go up there, fly in my spaceship, and eat the moon for lunch.
Right.
They can imagine that.
It's somewhat comical.
But young children are much less flexible, and much less likely to say,
yeah, I can call the moon spaghetti.
No, the moon is called the moon.
Now it turns out that bilingual children are willing to do that much younger.
And that's of course because they have two labels for the same item.
They learn very young that in fact
they can use two different words for the same item.
And when someone asks them well can you call the moon spaghetti?
Sure I can call it spaghetti.