Language Awareness Forum 2

Defining bilingualism

French 102Copyright Virginia M. Scott 2013

All Rights Reserved

LAF 2

Series Overview

This is the second of 3 presentations designed to make you think about second language learning.

We believe that developing critical language awareness can enhance your second language learning experience.

Like the previous presentation, this one begins with guiding questions and ends with discussion topics.

After this presentation you will write a 1 ½ page reaction to an article.

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Guiding questions

What does it mean to be bilingual ?

Are you bilingual ?

Do you expect to become bilingual in English/French ?

(Picasso, 1925)

What does “bilingual” mean?

There are at least 37 definitions of “bilingual”

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Je parle donc je suis (je pense).

I speak

therefore

I am (I

think) .

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Several definitions Balanced bilingual = mastery of two languages is roughly

equivalent Covert bilingual = someone who hides knowledge of another

language because of an attitudinal disposition Dominant bilingual = greater proficiency in one of the two

languages Early bilingual = someone who acquired both languages in

childhood Late bilingual = someone who became bilingual later than

childhood Receptive bilingual = someone who understands but does not

read or write Secondary bilingual = someone whose second language has

been added to a first via instruction Incipient bilingual = someone at the early stages of

bilingualism

(Taken from Wei, 2000)

DefinitionsLinguists do not agree on any single

definition of bilingual.

Auer (2000, p. 167) argued that any definition of bilingualism must focus on what people DO with their two languages:“You cannot be bilingual in your head, you have to use two or more languages ‘on stage,’ in interaction, where you show others that you are able to do so.”

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Bilingual people …

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understand a second language … read a second language… write a second language… speak a second language…

to varying degrees.

Demystifying bilingualism

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No one has the same level or the same

type of proficiency in two

(or more) languages!

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Demystifying bilingualism

Attitudes about bilingualism have changed and evolved:

In the 19th century people believed that being bilingual was detrimental to intellectual and spiritual growth.

In the early 20th century some studies indicated that bilingual children had lower IQs than monolingual children.

Today, some bilingual speakers may be encouraged to suppress their minority language in favor of the culturally dominant language.

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Demystifying bilingualism

Current research on cognition reveals the advantages of bilingualism:

Creative thinking Flexible thinking Faster learning Larger vocabulary Greater sensitivity in

communication

Rethinking bilingualism

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Often people think that being bilingual means that a person can speak another language like a “native speaker.”

The problem: A person cannot become a native speaker of another language. A native speaker is born into the community in which the language is used.

Most people are incapable of achieving native-like speech (pronunciation, idiomatic oral proficiency, etc.) in a second language

Rethinking bilingualism

Being bilingual means being able to … … use a language other than one’s native language

(L1) at any level for any purpose. … exploit whatever linguistic resources one has for

real-life purposes, such as reporting symptoms to a doctor, negotiating a contract, or reading a poem.

… stand between two languages (L1 and L2), even when apparently only using one.

… have the resources of two languages (L1 and L2) readily available whenever needed.

(Taken from Cook, 2002. )

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Rethinking bilingualism

Bilingualism is not a state, but a process; not a goal but a continuum.

BILINGUAL CONTINUUM

----x---------------------------------------x--incipient balanced

Do you want to be bilingual in English and

French?

Do you want to be able to understand French well enough to watch a TV program ?

Do you want to be able to read newspapers, books, internet sites in French?

Do you want to be able to write emails, letters, articles, stories, poems in French?

Do you want to speak well enough to be considered a “credible insider” when you travel to a country where French is spoken?

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Bilingualism in the French-speaking world

Many people in the French-speaking world are bilingual. That is, they are able to use French at varying levels for varying purposes.

In a country where French is not the indigenous language, using French may be perceived as a sign of elitism or exclusion.

Therefore, the issue of bilingualism may be a source of conflict or controversy.

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Bilingualism in CanadaWhat is the symbol of Canada?

What is Canada’s national language?

What does it mean to be a speaker of French in Canada?

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Reflection topicRead the Dec. 2012 editorial essay in The Star:

“National language strategy is key to Canada’s future”

www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2012/12/31/national_language_strategy_is_key_to_canadas_future.html

Write a 1 ½ page essay answering this question:

In what ways does the analysis of bilingualism in this LAF help you assess the issues outlined by Irvin Studin in this article?

Bibliography

Auer, J.C.P. (2000). A conversation analytic approach to code-switching and transfer. In L. Wei (Ed.), The bilingualism reader (pp. 166-187). New York: Routledge.

Cook V. (Ed.). 2002. Portraits of the L2 User. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Scott, V. (2010) Double talk: Deconstructing monolingualism in classroom second language learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wei, Li (ed.). 2000. The bilingualism reader. New York: Routledge.

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