Bilingualism

Jonela Stojic
23/13
 Content
Definition of language
First and second language acquisition
Monolingualism, Bilingualism and Multilingualism
Development of bilingualism
Early versus Late Bilingual
Language in society
Code-switching versus code-mixing
Bilingual Education
Consecutive versus Simultaneous Bilingual
Balanced versus Dominant Bilingual
Additive versus Subtractive Bilingual
Advantages of bilingualism
Language is a human system of communication that uses
arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, and/or
written symbols. The study of language is called linguistics.
Linguists (that is, specialists in the study of language) have
defined language in many different ways.

Noam Chomsky:
'Language is a set of sentences, each finite in length, and
constructed out of a finite set of elements'
 First and second language acquisition
Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and
comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate.
Language acquisition is one of the quintessential human traits, because non-humans do not
communicate by using language.

First language acquisition is the process whereby children acquire their first language i.e
mother tongue. It is a language that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the
critical period.

A person's second language or L2, is a language that is not the native language of the
speaker, but that is used in the locale of that person. In contrast, a foreign language is a
language that is learned in an area where that language is not generally spoken.

Second language can be either

Acquired
Learned
Monolingual
monolingual is someone who
speaks only one language, or
something that is available in only
one language. A person who
only speaks English is an example
of someone who is monolingual.
Officially monolingual countries,
on the other hand, such as
France, can have sizable
multilingual populations. Some
countries have official languages
but also have regional and local
official languages, notably Brazil,
China, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and
the UK and US.
Bilingual
Bilingualism is the ability to use
two languages with equal
fluency, and to sound like a
native in both. Young children
are naturally designed to acquire
what ever language(s) they are
regularly exposed to.
Definitions of bilingualism range
from a minimal proficiency in two
languages, to an advanced level
of proficiency which allows the
speaker to function and appear
as a native-like speaker of two
languages. A person may
describe themselves as bilingual
but may mean only the ability to
converse and communicate
orally.
Multilingual
Multilingual is a situation wherein
a person who has competence in
more than one language can
switch between languages from
one language to another and
vice versa according to the
circumstances at hand for the
purpose of coping with a social
matter.
The country with the most official
languages is Zimbabwe with 16.
These are: Chewa, Chibarwe,
English, Kalanga, Koisan,
Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele,
Shangani, Shona, sign language,
Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda
and Xhosa.
 Individual bilingualism vs Societal
bilingualism
Individual bilingualism Societal bilingualism

Bilingualism as an individual attribute: Bilingualism as a societal attribute: two

a psychological state of an individual languages are used in a community
who has access to two language and that a number of individuals can
codes to serve communication use two languages.
purposes.
Development of bilingualism
 Early versus late bilingualism
Early bilingualism Late bilingualism
Early age of bilingual exposure has a Late bilingualism refers to bilingualism
significant impact on multiple aspects when the second language is learned
of a childs development: after the age of 6 or 7; especially
linguistic when it is learned in adolescence or
cognitive adulthood. Late bilingualism is a
reading consecutive bilingualism which occurs
after the acquisition of the first
language (after the childhood
language development period).
Language in society
Bilinguals are present in every country of the world, in every social class and in all age
groups.

Numerically, bilinguals and multilinguals are in the majority in the world: it is estimated
that they constitute between half and two thirds of the worlds population.
The bilingual population of the world is growing as internationalism is spreading in
trade and travel, communications and mass media, immigration and an interlinked
global economy. Globalization and interculturalism are both the cause and an effect
of bilingualism and multilingualism.
People who speak a minority language within a majority language context may be
said to form a speech community or language community.

Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to social groups, social class,

ethnicity and other interpersonal factors in communication.
Code-switching versus code-mixing
Code-switching Code-mixing

In linguistics, code-switching occurs Code-mixing refers to the mixing of

when a speaker alternates between two or more languages or language
two or more languages, or language varieties in speech.
varieties, in the context of a single
conversation.
Multilinguals, speakers of more than
one language, sometimes use
elements of multiple languages when
conversing with each other.
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and
secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program
model

Bilingual education was put in practice and publication in the 20th century and the first linguist who
wrote bilingual books was Sissons in 1917 in Canada.

In the US,bilingual education was born in the 1960s where the Dual Language school approach in
1963 was born.

Bilingual education was established in Europe in the19th century, for example in Luxembourg in 1843
with trilingual education in 1913.

Bilingualism and multilingualism are a very early characteristic of human societies,and monolingualism
a limitation induced by some forms of social change, cultural and ethnocentric developments.

Historical roots: In many countries (e.g. the US, Canada, England and Sweden), bilingual education
must be linked to the historical context of immigration as well as political movements such as civil
rights, equality of educational opportunity, affirmative action and policies.

Bilingual education relates to debates about the fundamental purposes and aims of education in
general: for individuals, communities, regions and nations.
 Bilingualism in US
In the United States, bilingual education has been determined by federal
government,state government,local initiatives and individuals.

Bilingual education in the United States has moved through constant changes
in the perspectives of politicians, administrators and educationalists that
indicate underlying shifts in ideology, preference and practice

Long before European immigrants arrived in the United States, the land
contained many native(indigenous) languages. When the Italian, German,
Dutch, French, Polish, Czech, Irish, Welsh and other immigrant groups arrived,
there were already more than 300 separate (Native Indian) languages
in the United States( The Catholic church taught Spanish, French, English
through a native language)
.
 Consecutive
Learning one language after
already knowing another. This is
the situation for all those who
become bilingual as adults, as
well as for many who became
bilingual earlier in life. Sometimes
also called consecutive
bilingualism.
Simultaneous
Learning two languages as "first
languages". That is, a person who
is a simultaneous bilingual goes
from speaking no languages at
all directly to speaking two
languages. Infants who are
exposed to two languages from
birth will become simultaneous
bilinguals.
BALANCED VERSUS DOMINANT BILINGUAL
 Balanced Dominant

The term balanced bilingualism is A person who is a native speaker in

used to describe individuals who one and is capable of understanding
possess about the same fluency in but not speaking another language.
two languages, while semilingualism Dominant Bilingual. A person being
refers to those who have deficiencies more proficient in one of the two
in both languages compared with languages (in most cases native-like).
monolinguals.
ADDITIVE VERSUS SUBTRACTIVE BILINGUAL
 Additive bilingualism
A situation where a second
language is learnt by an individual or
a group without detracting from the
development of the first language. A
situation where a second language
adds to, rather than replaces the first
language.
Subtractive bilingualism
When learning a second language
interferes with the learning of a first
language. The second language
replaces the first language. This is
commonly found in children who
emigrate to a foreign country when
they are young, especially in cases of
orphans who are deprived of their first
language input.