Effects of multilingualism on cognition among older Indian adults in the nationally representative LASI‐DAD study

Multilingualism is hypothesized to protect late life cognition such that older multilinguals demonstrate better cognitive functioning compared to monolinguals. However, several studies have failed to find evidence of a multilingual advantage among aging populations. Methodological differences such as inconsistent accounting of critical environmental and sociocultural factors (e.g., educational experiences, lifecourse socioeconomic status, residential urbanicity) associated with multilingualism may explain these inconsistent findings. Furthermore, the lack of research conducted in low‐ and middle‐income countries limit the generalizability of these findings. India offers a unique opportunity to study the role of multilingualism in cognitive aging, given its rich linguistic and sociocultural diversity.