BILINGUALISMBy Prof. Marcela Israelskymisraelsky@hotmail.commisraelsky.blogspot.com

TEFL Master´s Degree Program

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A bilingual person is somebody who speaks two languages.

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A person may become bilingual either by acquiring two languages at the same time during childhood or by learning a second language sometime after acquiring the first language.

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BILINGUAL PEOPLE

• Children of immigrants in USA: They grow up speaking their parents´

native language at home while speaking English at school.

• Many bilinguals, however, are not immigrants.

There are many people born in the USA that speak English at school or work and another language at home.

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LEARNING A LANGUAGE AFTER EARLY CHILDHOOD

• It is possible to learn a second language sometime after early childhood, but the older you get, the hardest it is to learn to speak a new language.

• There´s a critical period, that is puberty. The structure of the brain changes at puberty, and after that it becomes harder to learn a new language.

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HOW HARD IT IS FOR A CHILD TO ACQUIRE TWO LANGUAGES AT THE SAME TIME?

• As long as people are regularly speaking with the child in both languages, the child will acquire them both.

• A child does not have to be exceptional or to have any special language ability to become bilingual, what he or she needs is a lot of exposure to the two languages.

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ADVANTAGES OF BEING BILINGUAL

• It benefits a child´s cognitive development.• It gives the child a sense of identity and

belonging (in the case of children of immigrants)

• Living in an increasingly globalization, it is an advantage for anyone to speak more than one language.

• For people of any age or profession, knowing a second language encourages cross-cultural awareness and understanding.

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MYTHS

• Learning two languages confuses a child and lowers his intelligence.

• A child should learn one language properly first; then, you can start teaching the other.

• A child who learns two languages will not feel at home in either of them. She/he will feel caught between cultures.

• Children who grow up bilingual will become great translators when they grow up.

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Teaching children a second language early in life is the best way for them to become bilingual adults.

Whether it is out of necessity or a lifestyle choice, being bilingual can open many doors.

Material created by Marcela Israelsky for educational purposes.