Bilingualism
Background:
A bilingual speaker is a person who speaks more than one language. A person can acquire this talent two different ways. Simultaneous bilingualism is when a person learns two languages at the same tie during childhood. Sequential Bilingualism is when the person learns a second language after they have learned their first language or native tongue. More than half of the people around he world are at least somewhat bilingual (Matlin,341).
Advantages:
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People who are bilingual show greater mental flexibility
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Children who are bilingual follow complicated instructions better than monolinguist.
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Bilinguals are better at selective attention task where they must inhibit the most obvious response by ignoring misleading information. ( ex. The dog meows.)
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Being bilingual looks great on a resume
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Being bilingual delays aging on the brain when you are in your 60s and older but in order for this to work you must use both languages on a regular basis.
Disadvantages
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Children who are bilingual have smaller vocabularies in both languages compared to monolinguist.
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Children have more tip of the tongue incidetns than children who only speak one language.
Articles & Video
1. Northwestern Univerisity Experiment
- Researchers at Northwestern University show the benefits of being bilingual through test that were given to bilingual participants versus monoliguist.
2. Learning 40 Languages!
- People who have mastered over 40 languages and structure changes their brain has made compared to monoliguist.
3. Bilingual Education
- Illustrates the need for bilingual education and the benefits that come along with knowing more than one language fluently.
4. Bilinguals and Beneficial Effects on the Brain
- A video where newsreporter talks about how bilingualism can delay aging on the brain.
5. Linguistic Society of America Pamphlet
- A pamphlet on what it means to be bilingual and how people learn two or more languages.
6. Bilingualism Good for the Brain
- This article talks about the benefits on the brain and the drawbacks of being bilingual.
7. Bilingualism: Personal Advantages and World Benefits
- This article shows the benefits of bilingualism on the brain but also professional and social benefits of being bilingual.
8. Washington Post Article: Spanish at School Translates to Suspension
- This is an newspaper article on a boy who was suspended from school because he was speaking Spanish in a Kansas City, KS high school.
9. Myths about Bilingualism
- This article disproves many myths about bilingualism.
10. The Simon Task
- Shows the experiment used to illustrate that positive affects being bilingual has on aging minds.
11. Billingual Babies
- Shows how prenatal bilingual exposure affects newborn babies.
This page was Created by: Keshia Sampson
* To my knowledge all pictures on this page are not copyrighted, if this is incorrect please contact me at 10525323@live.mercer.edu. Thank you!
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