Bilingualism

What is Bilingualism?

Different definitions of bilingualism & a bilingual person

Who is a "bilingual" person?

by Canan KIRAN

SOW-DGCN19 Multilingualism

Cambridge:

Bilingual: A person who is able to use two languages equally well

Oxford:

Speaking two languages fluently

Origin

From latin:

bi = having two

lingua = tongue

François Grosjean:

"Bilinguals are those who use two or more languages (or dialects) in their daily lives."

"Bilingualism is the regular use of two or more languages (or dialects)."

Britannica

Webster Dictionary (1961)

Bilingualism: the constant oral use of two languages

* the ability to speak two languages

* the frequent use (as by community) of two languages

Bilingual: Having or using two languages especially as spoken with the fluency characteristic of a native

speaker; a person using two languages especially habitually and with control like that of a

native speaker.

François:

bilinguals know their languages to the level that they need them

according to fluency

1935 / Bloomfield: "...a native-like control of two languages."

1937 / Braun: "...active, completely equal mastery of two or more languages."

1974 / Oestreicher: "...complete mastery of two different languages without interference between the two linguistic processes."

1 bilingual = 2 monolinguals

1968 / Haugen: "...native competence in more than one language."

Monolinguals: "2 languages fluently" 4.5/5

1926 / Aucamp: " Bilingualism is the condition in which two living languages exist side by side in a country each spoken by one national group representing a fairly large proportion of people."

Oldest

Not much information.

What do they mean?

1953 / Weinreich: "the practice of alternatively using two languages."

François:

1957 / Mackey: "the alternate use of two or more languages."

according to alternate use

François:

"To say a couple of phrases doesn't mean that I can speak the other language."

Meaningful Utterances

1953 / Haugen: "Where the speaker of one language

can produce complete meaningful

utterances in the other language."

Thank you for listening!

according to age

2002 / Huston: "True bilingual is who mastered two languages

in early childhood and can move back&forth

between them smoothly and effortlessly."

1978 / Thiery: Both languages should be acquired

before the age 14, with no accent.

1969 / Rivers: a child is bilingual as soon as s/he is able to

understand and makes him/herself understood.

One can become bilingual in childhood, but also in adolescence and in adulthood.

References

Altarriba, J. & Heredia, R.R. (2008). An introduction to bilingualism: principals and processes. Taylor & Francis Group.

Beardsmore, H.B. (1986). Bilingualism: basic principles. Multilingual matters.

Bilingualism & Bilingual. (2013). In Oxford dictionaries. Retrieved from

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/bilingual?q=bilingualism#bilingual__12

Bilingual. (2013). In Cambridge dictionaries online. Retrieved from

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bilingual?q=bilingual

Bilingualism. (2013). In Encyclopedia Britannica online. Retrieved from

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/65319/bilingualism

Grosjean, F. (1982). Life with two languages: an introduction to bilingualism. Harvard University Press.

Grosjean, F. (2008). Studying bilinguals. Oxford.

Hamers, J. & Blanc, M. (2003). Bilinguality and bilingualism. Cambridge University Press.

Ng, C.B. & Wigglesworth, G. (2007). Bilingualism: an advanced resource book. Routledge Chapman & Hall.

Romaine, S. (1996). Aspects of bilingualism. Tej, K. & Ritchie, W. C. eds. Handbook of Language Acquisition. Chapter 17. Academic Press.

Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (1981). Bilingualism or not: The education of minorities. Multilingual Matters.

Skills

1952/Hall: "at least some knowledge & control of the grammar structure of

the second language"

1967/Macnamara: "perfect bilinguals should have a minimal competence in one of the four

language skills (listening-speaking-writing-reading) in a language other

than his/her mother tongue."

1965/Pohl: "a speaker may merely understand the foreign language without

being able to speak it."

How bilingual must be a speaker to be considered as a bilingual?

Grosjean: "No need to be equally competent

in all their languages."

1932-1945/ Schmidt-Rohr(titles): "Liebe zur Muttersprache, A stealthy threat to our German nationhood, etc."

1982/Beardsmore:"balanced bilingualism is impossible to achieve-

it is very rare."

Chomsky: "a bilingual can never be an ideal speaker - hearer."

1967/Weinreich(survey): bilinguals are lazy, stupid, left-handed, unreliable, morally inferior

Fishman(1970) - Mackey(1978) - Troike&Modiano(1975): Bilingualism = Poverty

not equal

negativity

1972/Fishman: "...rarely equally fluent in both languages."

One nation-one language

Comment is scarcely necessary.

Skutnabb-Kangas (1981)

What are your opinions about "bilingualism'?