Youngsters with the ability to speak at least two languages are better able to study in noisy classrooms than their peers who can only speak one language, according to new research.

Anglia Ruskin University found that bilingual children develop a finely tuned ear for words, which they can make out more clearly than monolingual kids, even when it is against a backdrop of noise.

Experts came to this fascinating conclusion after examining the listening abilities of youngsters in Cambridge.

Those who spoke more than one language were observed as being ahead of their peers in attainment levels, as they were better able to stay focused despite studying in noisy conditions.

"Previous research has shown that bilingualism has a positive effect on cognitive abilities, but there were no studies investigating whether these advantages extended to learning in noisy environments," Dr Roberto Filippi, senior lecturer in psychology at Anglia Ruskin, was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.

"Primary schools are the key stages for the development of formal learning in the first years of life. However, they are also remarkably noisy. Therefore the ability to filter out auditory interference is particularly important within the context of an educational environment."

Previous studies have shown that bilingual children "outperform" monolingual kids when it comes to problem solving and demonstrating creativity.

For example, two years ago, Strathclyde University and the University of Cagliari in Sardinia published a report that identified bilingual youngsters as being quicker to learn.

Speaking at the time, Dr Fraser Lauchlan, an honorary lecturer at Strathclyde's school of psychological sciences, said that while bilingualism has long been thought to be a positive attribute some myths have persisted.

This includes the idea that possessing, for want of a better world, a "double-vocabulary", can be "detrimental" to children when studying.

"Our study has found that it can have demonstrable benefits, not only in language but in arithmetic, problem solving and enabling children to think creatively," he was quoted by the BBC as saying.

"We also assessed the children's vocabulary, not so much for their knowledge of words as their understanding of them. Again, there was a marked difference in the level of detail and richness in description from the bilingual pupils."