Bilingualism's Effects On Children
In 1989, Howard Gardner first proposed the theory of multiple intelligences. His theory posits that every human being is equipped with several kinds of intelligence that are interdependent. He developed his theory as a way to improve and challenge current practices in many fields, including education, child development, and even neuroscience. One of the intelligences he proposes is that of linguistic intelligence. To be able to learn and master a language is a specific form of intelligence that is valuable and vital personally and professionally in the 21st century. Parents and other kinds of alternative families around the world are growing in their awareness in the challenges and benefits of raising children in a bilingual environment and even in multilingual environments. This paper will consider the affects of raising children as bilingual with specific attention to how bilingualism affects areas such as learning, language acquisition, identity, and…...
mlaReferences:
Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit. "The Benefits of Bilingualism." The New York Times, 2012, Web, Available from: 2013 May 15.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=0 .
Decraene, Marcel. "Bringing up bilingual children." Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 2012, Web, Available from: 2013 May 15.http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/bringing-bilingual-children.
de Lange, Catherine. "Educators once opposed raising bilingual children. Experts now say it's beneficial." The Washington Post, 2012, Web, Available from: 2013 May 15.http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-06-11/national/35462411_1_bilingual-children-wallace-lambert-laura-ann-petitto.
Genesee, Fred. "Bilingual Acquisition." Early Childhood News, 2008, Web, Available from: 2013 May 15.http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=38 .
Bilingualism
The subject of bilgualism and its impact on cognitive development has always been an in interest of mine. When I first learned Spanish, I went to Mexico. I arrived in a small town, was dropped off by friends and started a six-week intensive course in Spanish and lived with a Mexican family. I did not even know how to say "Buenas Dias." The town I went to was San Miguel De Allende, and it has a large foreign English-speaking community. This was unfortunate since it meant I had many opportunities to revert to English rather than practicing my new language.
I will never forget my struggle to put together my first sentences in Spanish. Learning another language can be a humbling experience. So when I returned to the States, I had great sympathy for non-English speaking children who arrived at first grade and were instructed in English. In effect, these children…...
This can be seen with regard to the issue of codeswitching in bilingual children. As Scheu (1999) states, the effects of culture and context are extremely important in bilingualism. This refers to language choice as well as observed linguistic phenomena such as codeswitching. Codeswitching refers to when "…bilinguals code-switch or mix their languages during communication" (Heredia and Brown). Scheu ( 1999) finds "…codeswitching as a significant feature of bilinguals' speech repertoire and it offers strong evidence of the interdependence of bilingualism and biculturalism" (Scheu 2000, p.131).
The importance of cultural contact in bilingualism is underscored in a study by Barbara Pearson ( 2007). The study explores key cultural factors that affect whether a child in a multilingual environment will become bilingual. The factors that were found to be influential in the choice of bilingualism were language status, access to literacy, family language use, and community support, including schooling ( Pearson, 2007,…...
mlaReferences
Bialystok E. (2008) Second-Language Acquisition and Bilingualism at an Early Age and the Impact on Early Cognitive Development. Retrieved from http://www.enfant-encyclopedie.com/pages/PDF/BialystokANGxp_rev.pdf
Bilingualism, Second Language Learning, and English as a Second Language.
Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/bilingualism-second-language-learning-and-english-as-a-second-language
Bosemark C. Raising Bilingual Children: The Snags. Retrieved from http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids3.htm
Bilingualism:
First and second language acquisition theorists
Experience as a bilingual person
The term bilingual is used for the individuals that are having a command over more than one communication system. The learning process for the second language is elaborated in the work below. The detailed definition of bilingualism and work of first and second language theorists is also presented in the relevant sections. Later, the influence of reading through the literature and my personal experience as bilingual person is also presented. Finally the conclusion provides an understanding of the future desire for learning bilingual process and education system is also presented in the conclusion.
Bilingualism:
According to Baker (2011) bilingualism is denoted as two systems or more than two systems as multilingualism. The usage of more than one communication system in terms of identity, personality, thinking, reading, education, and employment has roots wasted in bilingualism. There are various theorists and aspects of bilingualism. There…...
mlaReferences:
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (Vol. 79). USA: Multilingual matters.
Bhatia, T.K., & Ritchie, W.C. (Eds.). (2012). The handbook of bilingualism and multilingualism. USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Saville-Troike, M. (2012). Introducing second language acquisition. USA: Cambridge University Press.
Children of parents whose native language is not English should begin learning both languages as early as possible, ideally, simultaneously when they first begin to acquire spoken language so that they will develop the fullest and most fluent bilingualism possible.
The main argument against bilingualism does not refute the value of speaking multiple languages; instead, it reflects the concern that when children are taught only their parents' native language, they should not receive academic instruction in any language other than English only because doing so delays and inhibits their absorption of English language skills. There may be some merit to that position but the solution is not simply to refuse to provide any language accommodations for English as second language (ESL). Specifically, if academic lessons are provided in foreign languages in ways that do not effectively encourage learning English, the likely consequences would be to perpetuate their inability to assimilate…...
Bilingualism
The concept of bilingualism is common across the globe in the contemporary society for instance in Europe 56% are known to speak in a language other than their mother tongue. This trend is seen to both facilitate cross cultural communication and enhancing cognitive abilities of individuals. Those that are bilingual are known to be better in attention and task switching than those who are monolingual due to the capability to inhibit one language while using another. Children under the age of seven who are bilingual are also known to be better at coping with the environmental changes than the monolingual children.
Language is the essential tool that we use to understand the world around us and to communicate our feelings and thoughts. It is also the tool we use to connect cross-culturally. Though the US is widely known to be monolingual, one fifth of over five years population are known to…...
mlaReference
Marian V, (2012). The Cognitive Advantage of being Bilingual. Retrieved June 22, 2018 from Mora J.K., (2018). Second and Foreign Language Teaching Methods. Retrieved June 22, 2018 from http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htmMyler T., (2018). Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Bilingual. Retrieved June 22, 2018 from https://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualadvantages.htmhttps://dana.org/Cerebrum/2012/The_Cognitive_Benefits_of_Being_Bilingual/
(Linton)
One Turning Point One prominent turning point for the opposition of bilingualism occurred with Peal and Lambert's (1962) study, as after their study, "bilingualism became recognized as having a cognitive advantage. (Palij and Homel, 1987; cited by Takakuwa, 2000) Peal and Lambert (1962; cited by Takakuwa, 2000) studied ten-year-olds from French schools in Montreal, Canada, and found that on 15 out of 18 measures of intelligence, scores of their participating bilingual group totaled higher than the monolingual group. No differences were found between the two groups on the other measures in their study, however, on measures of both verbal and nonverbal intelligence. The bilingual group's scores totaled higher than the monolingual group. Recent research on bilingualism reveals an opposing view continues to challenge bilingualism's positive effect on children's cognitive development. (Bialystok 1988; Day and Shapson 1996; Palij and Home, 1987; cited byTakakuwa, 2000) Findings from Peal and Lambert (1962;…...
mlaWorks Cited
Behrens, Susan J; Neeman, Amy Rakowsky. "Focus on Accent: A Sociolinguistic Perspective of Diversity in the Classroom." Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, April 1, 2004. 3 May 2008 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-589967281.html .
A www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5006256001
Kimball, Roger. "Institutionalizing Our Demise: America vs. Multiculturalism." New Criterion June 2004: 5+. Questia. 3 May 2008 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5006256001 .
Linton, April. "A critical mass model of bilingualism among U.S.-born Hispanics." Social Forces, September 1, 2004. 3 May 2008 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-124075861.html .
Bilingual Policies
One of the most controversial issues facing today's policy makers in the United States is the issue of bilingualism. The United States currently has a significant minority population whose first language is Spanish and not English. Complicating this fact further, many of these people are Puerto Rican in origin or family ethnicity. As such, they are United States citizens, but the majority of those living in Puerto Rico speak little or no English, and a significant number of those who have moved to the mainland have Spanish as their first language.
Residents of Puerto Rico have been American citizens since 1917 (Rubenstein, 2001). As such, they have the advantages of American citizenship from birth. In spite of this status, some report that as a group, Puerto Ricans are slower to assimilate into the larger, English-dominant American society (Rubenstein, 2001), which some feel sets them apart from groups of people who…...
mlaMelissa Doherty, 2004.
Rothstein, Richard. 1998. "Bilingual education: the controversy." Phi Delta Kappan, May.
Rubinstein, Alvin Z. 2001. "The Case against Puerto Rican Statehood." Orbis 45:33, p415-432. Summer.
Cruickshank, K. (2008). Arabic-English bilingualism in Australia. In J. Cummins and N.H. Hornberger (eds), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, 2nd Ed., Vol. 5: Bilingual Education, 281 -- 291. Springer Science & Business Media LLC.
Bilingualism, a sociolinguistic phenomenon growing out of language contact situations, is an object of fruitful study. Arabic-English bilingualism in New South Wales (NSW) was examined by Cruickshank (2008), focusing mostly on the issues related to the teaching of Arabic in community, Primary, and Secondary schools and language attitudes. Cruickshank ends with a prediction of further shifts from Arabic to English with through the impact of several factors on language attitudes toward Arabic as an immigrant language, such as segmentation of socioeconomic status "and the ethnic/language backgrounds of students," technological advances and the effect of international migration, and organizations and facilities being established "as the Arabic-speaking communities become more established" (288-290).
Beginning with a historical overview of the Arabic…...
mlaReferences
Sayahi, L. (2011). Code-switching and language change in Tunisia. International Journal Of The Sociology Of Language, 2011(211), 113-133.
Childhood Second Language Learning and Subtractive ilingualism
During the past five decades, the phenomenon of understanding how language is acquired has intrigued historians, theorists and scholars alike. Although language learning can occur at many different stages in one's lifetime, the vast bulk of the research has focused on children who grow up learning one language in the home (L1), while simultaneously learning the second language (L2), usually as a result of schooling. One of the main issues addressed most frequently is whether bilingual children are able to differentiate and keep the linguistic systems of their two languages apart from each other in the context of simultaneous acquisition (olonyai, 1998). Additional research has pointed out that young bilingual children may not maintain their languages balanced and intact because the bilingual development does not occur in a socially stable environment. This perspective theorizes that bilingual acquisition may result in various types and degrees…...
mlaBibliography
Bolonyai, A. 1998. In Between Languages: Language Shift/Maintenance in Childhood Bilingualism. The International Journal of Bilingualism, 2:1, pp. 21-
43.
Francis, N. 2005. Research Findings on Early First Language Attrition:
Implications for Discussion on Critical Periods in Language Acquisition.
Using Additive Bilingualism to Address Subtractive Educational Challenge among Hispanic-American LearnersIntroductionLatin Americans largest color population will account for about half of student growth over the next decade. Latin Americans are also the least educated of any ethnic group (Nuez, amalho & Cuero, 2010). Promoting the success of Latino Americans and other colored students is a major concern of educational systems that serve more diverse student organizations and become increasingly accountable to external institutions. Conversely, the population of teachers does not reflect this demography, as the majority of teachers/lecturers in American learning institutions are white. This divergence means that most teachers are unaware of their students daily experiences such as cultural background, dialect, family, home, and community. Because teachers tend to draw educational examples from their own experiences, these connections are not made for students.Moreover, Hispanics in the United States have historically suffered from ridicule and abuse from mainstream cultures due…...
mlaReferencesAlfaro, C., & Bartolomé, L. (2017). Preparing ideologically clear bilingual teachers: Honoring working-class non-standard language use in the bilingual education classroom. Issues in Teacher Education, 26(2), 11-34.Enstice, E. M. (2017). Latino Parent Perspectives: How to Promote and Implement Additive Bilingualism. Journal for Leadership and Instruction, 16(1), 33-36.Garate, M. (2012). ASL/English bilingual education: Models, methodologies and strategies. Vis. Lang. Vis. Learn. Res. Brief, 2(8), 1-8.González, J. F. E. (2018). Analyzing Moran’s dimensions of culture in an English conversational course at UCR. Revista de Lenguas Modernas, (28).Moran, P. R. (2001). Teaching culture: Perspectives in practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.Nuñez, A. M., Ramalho, E. M., & Cuero, K. K. (2010). Pedagogy for equity: Teaching in a Hispanic-serving institution. Innovative Higher Education, 35(3), 177-190.Ochoa, A. M., & Cadiero-Kaplan, K. (2004). Towards promoting biliteracy and academic achievement: Educational programs for high school Latino English language learners. The High School Journal, 87(3), 27-43.Padrón, Y.N., Waxman, H.C. & Rivera, H.H. (2002). Educating Hispanic students: Effective instructional practices. Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence, University of California.Schmitt, E. C. (1985). The 3 teaching methods in bilingual classes. The New York Times.Seelye, N. (1984). Teaching Culture Strategies for Intercultural Communication. Lincolnwood: National Textbook Company.Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity Pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Pearson College Division.Spolsky, B. (1998). Sociolinguistics (Vol. 1). Oxford university press.Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: US-Mexican youth and the politics of caring. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Inuktitut in Modern Inuit Communities in Northern Canada
The role of language in identity construction of the Inuit in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada), which nourishes the evolution of their ethno-territorial movement in the eastern Canadian Arctic, had been around since the 1970s. This paper is an analysis of the legal-political context of the Quebec State then enables the detachment of the cornerstones of its policy speech in general, and finally those with respect to the indigenous population, in particular to the Inuit language.
There are eight major Inuit communities: those of the LABADO, the UNGAVA, and the BAFFIN, of Iglulik, the CAIBOU, of Netsilik and Copper as well as the Inuit of the Western Arctic (which replaced MACKENZIE INUIT). There are five main dialects Inuit in Canada Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut and inuttut grouped under a single language, Inuktitut or Inuktitut. (McGrath 2007) At the last census, 70% of Inuit said they knew the…...
mlaReferences
Alia, Valerie (2009). Names and Nunavut: Culture and Identity in Arctic Canada. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781845451653
Billson, Janet Mancini; Kyra Mancini (2007). Inuit women: their powerful spirit in a century of change. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742535961
Crandall, Richard C (2000). Inuit art: a history. McFarland. ISBN 0786407115
De Poncins, Gontran. Kabloona. St. Paul, MN: Graywolf Press, 1996 (originally 1941). ISBN 1-55597-249-7
Official Language Movement: Hispanic Cultural Interest
The focus of this work is the official language movement and bilingualism in education politics in the United States, which is an important Hispanic-American cultural interest.
One of the fastest growing groups in the United States is the group of Hispanics and it was reported in the 1990 U.S. census that there were 22.4 million Hispanics or Latinos in the United States, which was up from 14.5 million in 1980. (Garcia, 2011, paraphrased) Hispanics are reported to be concentrated in the states of California, New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois, all of these states that when taken together "comprise over half of the electoral vote majority needed for election to the presidency." (Garcia, 2011)
Age a Key Factor that Limits Political Participation
There are several factors that are reported to hinder the political participation of Hispanics as well as hindering their development "into a unified voting bloc."…...
mlaReferences
Constitutional: Official Language (2011) U.S. Constitution Online. Retrieved from: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html
Garcia, Maria-Cristina (2011) Hispanic-Americans: An Under-Represented Group in American Politics. ARNET. Retrieved from: http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/garcia.htm
Huntington, Samuel (2004) The Hispanic Challenge. Foreign Policy. May 2004. Retrieved from: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/blogs/gems/culturalagency1/SamuelHuntingtonTheHispanicC.pdf
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Advantage of Bilingual Children in Cognition
Psychology 317, Fall 2012
Knowing several languages heightens one's status in society and can widen opportunities in professional and personal arenas. There have been a number of studies showing bilingualism is also beneficial to the brain's activity, and the interaction of synapses and passages in the brain (Harris 1992). The changes in the brain would be much stronger in bilingual children, who are the main focus this research. A review of the literature on children who are bilingual compares them with children who are not (Bialystok 2011).
Advantages to bilingualism
As has been discussed, there are advantages to being bilingual beyond knowing another language. In children, bilingualism results in flexible cognition overall. Because a child knows more word for an object, he or she gains a more complex understanding of the world around them (Kovacs 2009). The bilingual child is able to be more knowledgeable, even though…...
Minority Rights Revolution
The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s brought about several concordant social changes in the United States. What began as primarily an attempt to liberate African-Americans from continued systematic oppression in the form of school segregation Jim Crow laws turned out to be as much of a boon to American women and minority groups other than blacks, especially Latinos. Among the issues shared in common by all oppressed groups include voting rights, equal access to education, and equal employment opportunities. Creating social programs and institutions to provide especially for the needs of all minority groups was a logical extension of the Civil Rights movement, which appealed to women and Latinos as well as to African-Americans. The design of blanket-institutions and legislation was definitely a step in the right direction, as oppressed groups do suffer from similar forms and consequences of discrimination. However as John D. Skrentny points out…...
Certainly! Here are some ideas for essay topics related to language development:
1. The role of parental language input in early language acquisition
2. The impact of bilingualism on language development in children
3. Language development in children with speech and language disorders
4. The effects of technology on language development in young children
5. The relationship between socio-economic status and language development
6. The benefits of early intervention and speech therapy for children with language delays
7. The development of pragmatics and social communication skills in children
8. The influence of culture on language development
9. The role of play in language acquisition and....
Language Development Essay Topics
1. The Role of Caregivers in Language Acquisition
How do caregivers' language input, interaction, and scaffolding contribute to infants' and young children's language development?
What are the effects of different types of caregiver-child interactions on language acquisition?
How can interventions targeting caregivers improve the language development of children with language delays?
2. The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Language Development
How does children's socioeconomic status impact their language development?
What are the underlying factors that mediate this relationship?
What can be done to mitigate the negative effects of socioeconomic disparities on language development?
3. The Development of Bilingualism
What....
1. The importance of early intervention in speech and language development
2. The role of parents and caregivers in promoting speech and language development
3. The impact of technology on speech and language development
4. The connection between speech and language development and academic success
5. Cultural and socioeconomic influences on speech and language development
6. The relationship between speech and language development and social skills
7. Language delays and disorders: causes, assessment, and intervention
8. The effects of bilingualism on speech and language development
9. Speech and language development in children with developmental disabilities
10. Strategies for supporting speech and....
1. The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Speech and Language Development
- The correlation between poverty and delayed language development
- Access to early intervention services for children from low-income families
- The role of cultural factors in shaping speech patterns
2. The Influence of Bilingualism on Speech and Language Development
- Cognitive benefits of bilingualism
- Phonological and syntactic differences in bilingual children's speech
- Strategies for supporting bilingual children's language acquisition
3. Speech and Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Communication challenges faced by children with ASD
- Language interventions tailored to the specific needs of autistic individuals
- The role of augmentative and alternative communication....
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