Bilingualism, Intelligence, Transfer, & Learning Strategies

1. Bilingualism, Intelligence, Transfer, & Learning Strategies Lec. 10

2. 1. Varieties of bilingualism • Any two language: speech, sign, or written • E.g. sign languages, Sanskrit (written mode), etc. • Because language in all its complexity can be acquired through a variety of modalities – sound (speech), sight (writing), and visual motion (signs) – an adequate concept of a bilingual should allow for any of these realizations.

3. 1. Varieties of bilingualism • We may say a person is bilingual if he or she knows: • Two languages in the same modality, for example, two speech-based languages such as spoken English and Spoken German, or two sign-based languages such as American Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language, or • Two language based on different modalities, e.g. spoken German and American Sign Language, or spoken French and written Sanskrit

4. 2. Is bilingualism beneficial or detrimental? • Knowledge of another language enables people to communicate with members of other cultures in their own language., which provides a means for further cooperation and understanding among nations and peoples. • Knowing another language is also important within countries where there is more than one prevalent or official language, as in Switzerland and Canada. • at a personal level, the pleasure and cultural benefits of bilingualism are obvious.

5. 2. Is bilingualism beneficial or detrimental? • The arguments offered against bilingualism are typically restricted to young children learning a second language. • It must be said that the criticism that has been leveled against early bilingualism is primarily of another era, the early half of the twentieth century.

6. 3. Effects of early bilingualism on first-language development and intelligence • I. effects on first-language development Can learning a second language at an early age , while the child is still in the process of learning the native or first language, have a negative effect on the learning of the native language?

7. 3. Effects of early bilingualism on first-language development and intelligence 1. Effects on first language development • Negative reports (culturally biased) Smith (1939), Bereiter & Engelman (1966) • Positive reports Labov & other researchers (1960s) & (1970s) Brucket al (1976) • Positive effects with very different languages English & Japanese

8. 3.Effects of early bilingualism on first-language development and intelligence • Effects on intelligence • Negative reports (culturally biased) USA: Goddard (1917) Wales: Saer (1922,1923) • Positive reports Peal & Lambert (1962) Bain & YU (1980)

9. 3. Effects of early bilingualism on first-language development and intelligence 3. conclusion It is unlikely that learning a second language negatively affects intelligence in a permanent or important way. In fact, some research suggest there may even be beneficial effects. Given the advantages of knowing another language and of young children’s propensity for speedy language acquisition, there is good reason to favor early bilingualism.