It makes a lot of sense that bilinguals are "smarter," just because it can be difficult to learn a new language and some people just don't think in that way. However, I'm not entirely sure what is meant by smarter. It's hard to judge someone's intellectual ability based solely on the fact that they speak multiple languages. I think it is more clearly defined when babies are tested, instead of adults. It is much easier to understand the extent of a 7-month-old's knowledge compared to that of a full-grown adult.
But on that note, I understand why one of the articles said that learning multiple languages, especially as a child, causes linguistic disadvantages, which can make someone appear less intelligent. I have often tried to think of a word in one language and could only remember it in another (most often, I could only remember the English word, but I have at times only been able to remember the Spanish word). I don't know if this topic will ever be fully resolved, but I don't think the differences between those who know another language and those who do not are wide enough to truly decide one way or another.
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